The SCORE and CitySmart Programs: Sustaining Investment in High Performance Buildings in Schools and Cities

Abstract

The definition of “sustainability” depends on who you ask. We define the sustainability of investing in energy efficiency this way: The practice of selecting higher efficiency alternatives becomes sustainable once the purchaser understands that energy cost savings are invisible to the occupant, that the non-energy benefits (NEB) are more important than pure energy efficiency in creating a constituency that drives decision makers, and puts in place a decision-making process that actively pursues energy cost savings and non-energy benefits. Since 2006, more than 185 educational organizations and municipal governments have participated in the SCORESM and CitySmartSM energy efficiency programs offered by nine investor-owned utility companies in Arkansas and Texas. This paper will describe how the services provided by the programs have led to sustained efforts by participating organizations to save energy and improve occupant comfort through increased energy efficiency.