The Climate Commitment Act of 2022 codified and accelerated the District''s climate commitments, to citywide carbon neutrality by 2045 with a first interim target of a 45% reduction from the 2006 baseline by 2025. Based on ACEEE''s analysis of past years emissions data, ACEEE projects that the city will not meet its near-term community-wide GHG emissions reduction goal.
The District''s Department of Energy & Environment releases greenhouse gas inventories.
The Sustainable DC plan included a goal to cut citywide energy use 50% by 2032. The plan included an additional goal to meet net-zero energy standards with all new developments.
The District''s Clean Energy DC Omnibus Act established a renewable portfolio standard of 100% renewable by 2032, including a 5.5% local solar carve-out. In March 2023, the Local Solar Expansion Amendment Act of 2022 was enacted, increasing the targets to a 9% local solar carve-out by 2032 as part of the 100% RPS. The share of local solar will also increase, to 15% by 2041.
Equity-Driven Community Engagement
The Sustainable DC plan updating process included speaking to residents that represented the diversity of the city. To make the process most convenient for residents of underserved communities, the city partnered with community organizations to help recruit new participants, held meetings in familiar Metro-accessible venues for communities, and restructured meeting formats to be more casual and accessible. The city also focused community engagement in locations that have been underserved in the past.
Equity-Driven Decision-Making
In partnership with the Georgetown Climate Center, the Department of Energy & Environment created the Equity Advisory Group. The Group consisted of residents and community leaders of Far Northeast Ward 7, where a climate vulnerability analysis showed the community has been uniquely vulnerable to climate-risks due to its proximity to the Watts Branch Tributary of the Anacostia River. The Group was tasked with developing recommendation to be incorporated into the District''s Climate Ready DC Plan and Clean Energy DC Plan. The partnership published a community engagement guide. Work is now underway to focus on developing resilience hubs and workforce development initiatives based on the advisory group''s recommendations.
Equity Accountability Measures
The District Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) is developing a racial equity tool in the implementation and future update of the District''s Sustainable DC plan.
The District''s Solar for All program aims to expand access to solar power to low-income residents. The program partners with organizations to install on-site solar on single-family homes and community solar projects. For residents to be eligible for participation, household income must be less than 80% of the area median income. A 1 MW installation pursued by the Department of General Services to serve low-income households integrates energy storage.
The community solar farm at Oxon Run is an innovative use of a degraded 15 acre brownfield site. A total of 2.65 megawatts of clean, solar energy capacity was brought online in December 2020. The system delivers free electricity (offsetting $500 annually) to approximately 750 households in the surrounding community. As of February 2021, the facility is the largest community solar system in the District.
Heat Island Mitigation Policies and Programs
The city has adopted a private tree protection ordinance.
Washington has extensive low-impact development (LID) requirements and incentives. The District requires real estate development projects to use LID techniques to achieve a required green area ratio. DC''s Construction Code also requires the installation of cool roofs. The District incentivizes green roof installation through the RiverSmart Roof Rebate Program. Through this program, the city offers rebates of $10 to $15 per square foot for voluntary green roof installation. The District further incentives the installation of LID through the Stormwater Retention Credit Trading Program. This program allows developments that use LID practice or remove impervious surfaces to earn revenue by selling Stormwater Retention Credits through the Department of Energy & Environment.
DOEE is currently working with a community partner organization to augment the District''s first resilience hub, which will be equipped with solar and battery storage to provide power to residents in the surrounding disadvantaged community, as well as residents of the connected affordable housing apartments.
Workforce development for disadvantaged workers
Washington, DC partnered with IBEW to recruit residents of disadvantaged communities to clean energy workforce development opportunities. Through the program, IBEW will train 61 or more residents in their pre-apprenticeship program, connect 70% of those enrolled in the pre-apprenticeship to union apprenticeships or other employment opportunities, and provide wraparound and other support services to interested residents pursuing their programs such as tutoring, interview preparation, career coaching, financial management training, childcare, transportation to events. The program is providing compensation to participants.
Workforce development for the broader community
We could not determine if city has partnered with a local education institution, labor union, or community-based organization to create, support, and/or incentivize the development of clean energy workforce development initiatives that target training and support services for potential or existing workers from the broader community to obtain and keep in-demand jobs.
We could not determine if the city has instituted a mechanism to measure the performance and/or success of equitable workforce development initiatives focused on the clean energy sector.
Washington, D.C.''s energy codes are mandatory across the District. Residential and commercial construction must comply with the 2017 D.C. Construction Code. The D.C. Construction Code includes the Energy Conservation Code which is more stringent than the 2015 IECC and ASHRAE 90.1-2013. The Construction Code also includes the Green Construction Code which is based on the 2012 International Green Construction Code. The next update to the codes was initiated in February 2022, with a goal of enacting them in early 2024. To learn more about the District of Columbia''s required energy codes, please visit the State Policy Database.
Commercial properties comply with the 2017 D.C. Construction Code, which consist of the 2015 International Code Council (ICC) family of model codes, the 2014 National Electrical Code, and 2013 ASHRAE 90.1, as amended by the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR) Title 12, Sections A through M. This includes Appendix Z, a voluntary net-zero energy compliance pathway. To comply with Appendix Z, commercial projects must demonstrate a zEPI score of 30 or lower. The city''s zEPI score for their commercial energy code is 50.25.
Residential buildings comply with the 2017 D.C. Construction Code. The city''s zEPI score for their residential energy code is 62.4.
Solar-readiness policies
The Green Construction Code applies to all commercial projects 10,000 square feet and larger, and all residential projects 4 stories and higher and 10,000 square feet or larger. The Green Building Act requires that a commercial building over 50,000 square feet must achieve LEED at the Certified level. If a commercial or residential building has received at least 15% of its funding from public sources (broadly defined to include ground leases, TIF districts, etc.) they must achieve Green Communities Certification (residential), LEED at the Silver level (nonresidential), or LEED at the Gold level (Schools). New municipal buildings must achieve LEED Gold or ENERGY STAR 75+ standards.
About Renewable energy storage washington d c
As the photovoltaic (PV) industry continues to evolve, advancements in Renewable energy storage washington d c have become critical to optimizing the utilization of renewable energy sources. From innovative battery technologies to intelligent energy management systems, these solutions are transforming the way we store and distribute solar-generated electricity.
When you're looking for the latest and most efficient Renewable energy storage washington d c for your PV project, our website offers a comprehensive selection of cutting-edge products designed to meet your specific requirements. Whether you're a renewable energy developer, utility company, or commercial enterprise looking to reduce your carbon footprint, we have the solutions to help you harness the full potential of solar energy.
By interacting with our online customer service, you'll gain a deep understanding of the various Renewable energy storage washington d c featured in our extensive catalog, such as high-efficiency storage batteries and intelligent energy management systems, and how they work together to provide a stable and reliable power supply for your PV projects.
Related Contents
