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NAIOP Colorado’s ResourceSmart
Colorado initiative is a precedent-setting program
bringing together three leading Colorado organizations in pursuit
of a common goal: to make office buildings, warehouses and other
commercial real estate in the Denver-metro area more energy and
water-efficient. By joining forces, these three organizations have
a unique opportunity to reduce the amount of valuable resources
consumed in Colorado’s commercial buildings: 
- The Colorado
chapter of NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association,
is one of the largest and most active chapters in the country
with approximately 800 members representing the owners and key
decision-makers of the region’s commercial real estate industry.
- Xcel Energy
is Colorado’s largest electricity and natural gas utility,
serving more than 1.6 million customers. Its business customers
in Colorado consume more than 19 billion kilowatt hours of electricity
and 414 million therms of natural gas each year.
- Denver Water
serves more than 1.3 million customers in the Denver metro area.
Its customers use more than 225,000 acre feet of water each year,
20 percent of which is used by the commercial sector.
By coming together,
these three groups have the ability to make a real difference in
improving the energy and water efficiency of Colorado’s commercial
real estate.
Why is this
important?
The United States commercial real estate sector is a major consumer
of energy and water resources:
- The commercial
sector uses an estimated 10 billion gallons of water each day
in the United States and has the potential for enormous water
conservation opportunities, from fixture replacements to food
service appliances to efficient cooling systems.
- Denver Water’s
commercial customers use more than 14.7 billion gallons of water
each year, enough water to pour one foot of water onto 45,000
football fields.
- Commercial
buildings consume 36 percent of all the electricity produced in
the country and account for 18 percent of total U.S. energy consumption.
- The carbon
dioxide emissions created by U.S. commercial buildings alone are
roughly equivalent to all the carbon dioxide emitted by Australia,
New Zealand and South Korea combined.
In this day
of climate change and increasingly scarce supplies of water and
other natural resources, it is more important than ever that office
buildings, warehouses and other commercial real estate are as efficient
as possible when it comes to electricity and water consumption.
Furthermore, during these tough economic times, businesses need
to find ways to lower costs and improve their bottom line. Both
Xcel Energy and Denver Water offer a number of rebates and incentives
that help building owners achieve both objectives.
Xcel Energy
- The conservation
rebates and incentives offered by Xcel Energy have saved Colorado
businesses nearly $25 million a year in energy costs. For example,
Xcel Energy’s Lighting Efficiency and Motor Efficiency rebate
programs helped customers save more than 90 GWh of electricity
in 2008 alone, equivalent to the amount of power used by 12,000
homes in Colorado each year.
- Beginning
in 2009, the potential to save money is even greater because Xcel
Energy has more than doubled the number of energy efficiency rebate
programs, significantly raised the rebate amounts and expanded
the list of equipment and processes that qualify for rebates.
Denver Water
- Denver Water
pays commercial buildings up to $40,000 for water saved through
increased efficiency.
- It offers
large rebates for cooling tower equipment, which typically accounts
for about 25% of an office building’s water consumption.
It also offers rebates for installing water efficient toilets
and urinals because water use in restrooms consumes another 25%
of water consumption within an office building.
While these
programs have already met with great success, the challenge is making
sure that the right people in the commercial real estate sector
know about them. That is where NAIOP Colorado comes in.
 How
will this partnership help?
NAIOP Colorado
will connect Xcel Energy and Denver Water with the key decision
makers of the commercial real estate industry. Through a variety
of forums, events, a web site, and other programs and communication
tools, NAIOP Colorado will help introduce its members to the most
efficient and cost-saving conservation programs and cutting-edge
green building practices. By giving the leaders of the commercial
real estate sector the tools they need to conserve, ResourceSmart
Colorado has the potential to create unprecedented change in promoting
greener, more environmentally friendly practices in Colorado’s
office buildings, warehouses and other commercial real estate.
About the
Partners
NAIOP Colorado has long been an advocate of building green,
and the organization is dedicated to doing its part to help protect
our planet’s valuable resources. The 800 members who make up
the Colorado chapter represent the owners and key decision-makers
of the region’s commercial real estate industry.
Environmental stewardship is a fundamental value at Xcel Energy.
It has developed award-winning energy efficiency rebate programs
and has become the No. 1 wind power provider in the nation. Xcel
Energy has already implemented a multitude of conservation programs
aimed at reducing electricity consumption by 425 gigawatt-hours
and natural gas consumption by 721,000 dekatherms before 2011.
Denver Water proudly serves high-quality water and promotes
its efficient use to 1.3 million people in the City of Denver and
many surrounding suburbs. Established in 1918, it is Colorado’s
oldest and largest water utility. Denver Water is committed to reducing
overall water use to 165 gallons per capita per day by 2016, a 22-percent
reduction from average pre-drought use.
Additional
initiatives in conjunction with ResourceSmart Colorado will be announced
in the coming months. This will include launch of the ResourceSmart
Colorado website and more!
For more information
about the program, or to schedule an interview with a representative
from NAIOP Colorado, Denver Water or Xcel Energy, contact:
Follow us on
Twitter @ResourceSmartCO
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Partnership between NAIOP Colorado, Denver Water and Xcel Energy
