Industry News

Signing the MOU between IDEA and GBCI are (front, from left) Rob Thornton, president and CEO, IDEA; and David Witek, senior vice president, finance, operations and administration, USGBC. Looking on are (back, from left) Aurel Selezeanu, Duke University; Jim Adams, University of Michigan; Ken Smith, District Energy St. Paul; Tim Griffin, RMF Engineering; Jamie Statter, USGBC; and John Kelly, PEER.

Signing of Memorandum of Understanding Between IDEA and USGBC

At a ceremony Wednesday, Feb. 10, IDEA and Green Business Certification Inc. formally signed a memorandum of understanding calling for further collaboration and cooperation to promote more sustainable, efficient and resilient electricity and thermal grids through the Performance Excellence in Electricity Renewal (PEER) certification program. GBCI is an independent credentialing entity that administers the PEER program for the U.S. Green Building Council. The MOU was signed during IDEA’s 29th Annual Campus Energy Conference in Austin, Texas.
This agreement is evidence of USGBC’s recognition that good infrastructure and integration of clean energy efficiency are part of resiliency and that there is a shift under way from just looking at the energy efficiency of single buildings to looking at entire communities, campuses and cities. Itreflects a growing trend among IDEA member campuses already operating and optimizing their electricity systems in conjunction with thermal energy utilization. The MOU gives the industry a framework for working together and identifying best practices as they relate to grid operation and optimization.
The PEER certification program measures and improves power system performance and electricity delivery systems. It provides a comprehensive framework for defining, assessing and verifying the overall sustainable performance of electricity delivery system design and operations. The standards enable project teams to assess their currentstate, develop strategies for improvement, advance the
business case and verify the value of system changes. PEER is the driving force behind the USGBC’s vision to transform power systems, and it is the nation’s first comprehensive, data-driven approach to evaluating and improving power system performance.
Under the leadership of Juan Ontiveros, associate vice president of utilities and energy management at the University of Texas at Austin, that institution became the first college campus in the world to attain PEER certification in 2014. According to GBCI in its report on the university’s certification process, achieving PEER certification demonstrated Ontiveros’ leadership in transforming the power
industry. The report identified the campus as “a showcase example of sustainable electricity system design,” noting that “PEER certification validates UT Austin’s accomplishments, sets a benchmark for other campus facilities, and demonstrates UT Austin’s commitment to sustainable power systems and continuous improvement.”