Commercial Buildings Research and Development

Commercial Buildings Research & Development
Home > Tools & Process > Design Assistance & Assessment: Public Sector Procurement

Public Sector Procurement

Collage of various images associated with Public Sector Procurement including: NEMA Premium, FEMP, Energy Star and PEPS logos and FEMP's 'Purchasing Specifications for Energy-Efficient Products: Commercial Downlight Luminaires'

Motivation / Problem Statement

Large savings from upgrading appliance/equipment efficiency purchase/replacement, beyond DOE standards. Can't reach ZEB without addressing "non-ASHRAE" (plug) loads. Aggregate government buying-power for ENERGY STAR® and FEMP-designated products.

Activities / Approach

FEMP purchasing specs for 58 products; required by law (EPACT-05) at federal level. FEMP specs, based on in top 25th percentile, cover non-ENERGY STAR product types — boilers, chillers, non-res. lighting, motors. Equipment efficiency specs also apply to federal new construction.

Accomplishments / Outcomes

Energy cost savings potential (all government levels): $1 billion/year. More than 15 states and 6 cities use federal specs for their purchasing.

Future / Follow-on

Update federal purchasing specs for new technologies; expand ENERGY STAR® labeling (?)

Relationship to Other Projects

High-performance commercial buildings need efficient equipment. Federal entry-market for new technologies.

Principal Investigator

  • Christopher Payne
  • (202) 646-7954

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