POLICY 080412 Senate Hears Testimony on Water Efficiency in Buildings to Reduce Energy and Carbon

The Senate Energy and Natural Resoruces Committee has been one of the most active committees to consider the connections between water and energy.  The committee is currently considering the Water and Energy Bill [get proper title and status from josh/bill].  During a hearing called by Water and Power Subcommittee Chair Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the subcommittee heard from a panel of experts focused on the connection between water efficiency and reduction of energy and carbon within residential and commercial buidligns, as well as in industrial facilties.

Water is an “Essential Consideration” in High Performance Buildings

Henry Green, President of the National Insittute of Building Sciences, stressed that, while the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) does not specify water in its definition of attributes of a high performance building, water is “an essential consideration for many of these attributes.” LINK TO TESTIMONY

Said Green, “It is becoming increasingly obvious that water, like energy, will serve as a fundamental focus of building related policies.” Green noted that Americans use more water in the home than any other country except Canada, and 40% of US energy is used in buildings. He recognized that energy is required to get treated water to the home and bring wastewater from the home, as well as for several water-related functions within the home.

Green raised concerns, however, that there is a lack of comrpeehsnvie building water use data that is “vital to the continued improvement of water mganamgenet in buidligns across the country” and that “water use benchmark data by distinct building types do not exist.”  Development of benchmark data leads to a better understanding of water use intensity and opportuntieis for greater efficiency, guiding development of codes and standards, policies, and management approaces.  While EPA’s
“WaterSense” program focuses on individual pieces of equipment, and only for a few product types, Green suggested that a “WaterSense for Buildings” program be developed, addressing not only plumbing fixtures, but also water use in cooling towers and other high water use equipemtn in larger buidlings.

New Guidance for Water Efficient Fixtures from “Green Supplement” to Uniform Plumbing Code

Providing model codes that have been adopted globally for plumbing, mechanical, swimming bpol, solar and radiant heating industries, the International Association of Plumbers and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) has been working to address opportuntiies to

IAPMO Group

Opportunities for “Near Net Zero” Food Manufacturing Faciltiies

Bena noted that “improved resource se also makes good business sense.  For example, six out of 10 of PepsiCo’s top-sourced raw materials are agricultureal.  We conduct agirlcutural operaitons in 30 countries.  For PepsiCo, maintaining a sustainabme supply chain is paramount to minimizing risks for our business operaitons.” 

Bena testified that one example PepsiCo’s “Performance with Purpose” initative has been the transformation of the Frito-Lay Casa Grande snack food manufacturing facility to have a “near net zero” footprint, in which they would “run the facility primarily on renewable energy sources and recycled water while producing nearly zero waste.”  He noted that “we chose the Casa Grande, Araizona facility because of its location, where sunlight is plentiful and water conservation is important, and its size – big enough to be effective, yet small enough to be mangeable.”  Bena testified that 75% of te water is recycled, there has been a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, and an 80 percent reduction in the use of natural gas.

Bena noted that