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Evanston technical committee debates how to count renewables, hears ASHRAE guidance on target-setting
Summary
At its April 1 meeting the Evanston Healthy Buildings technical committee discussed how on-site solar, community solar and RECs should count toward ordinance targets, clarified verification and reporting questions, and heard ASHRAE vice chair Jamie Kono recommend using local benchmarking when setting EUI targets.
The Evanston Healthy Buildings technical committee met April 1 and focused on how the city's ordinance should count renewable energy (on-site solar, community solar and renewable energy certificates), how to verify owner submissions, and how to set interim energy-use targets.
Julie Kaye Lake of Northwestern University's sustainability program joined as a guest; Chair (speaker 1) described a draft approach that lays out five interim reporting periods leading up to the 2050 goal and three compliance pathways: on-site generation, community solar allocations and REC purchases to cover remaining load. "Community solar doesn't get you all the way," the Chair said during the meeting, noting allocations are tied to prior usage and will not always cover a building's full electricity demand.
Members debated classification questions. Some said geothermal should not be treated as an electricity-generating renewable for the ordinance because it typically reduces load rather than producing on-site electricity; others argued…
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