42 U.S.C. § 17084

1. (a)In this section:
   1. (1)The term “high-performance energy efficiency measure” means a technology, product, or practice that will result in substantial operational cost savings by reducing energy consumption and utility costs.
   2. (2)The term “separate spaces” means areas within a commercial building that are leased or otherwise occupied by a tenant or other occupant for a period of time pursuant to the terms of a written agreement.
2. (b)
   1. (1)Not later than 1 year after April 30, 2015, the Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, shall complete a study on the feasibility of—
      1. (A)significantly improving energy efficiency in commercial buildings through the design and construction, by owners and tenants, of separate spaces with high-performance energy efficiency measures; and
      2. (B)encouraging owners and tenants to implement high-performance energy efficiency measures in separate spaces.
   2. (2)The study shall, at a minimum, include—
      1. (A)descriptions of—
         1. (i)high-performance energy efficiency measures that should be considered as part of the initial design and construction of separate spaces;
         2. (ii)processes that owners, tenants, architects, and engineers may replicate when designing and constructing separate spaces with high-performance energy efficiency measures;
         3. (iii)policies and best practices to achieve reductions in energy intensities for lighting, plug loads, heating, cooling, cooking, laundry, and other systems to satisfy the needs of the commercial building tenant;
         4. (iv)return on investment and payback analyses of the incremental cost and projected energy savings of the proposed set of high-performance energy efficiency measures, including consideration of available incentives;
         5. (v)models and simulation methods that predict the quantity of energy used by separate spaces with high-performance energy efficiency measures and that compare that predicted quantity to the quantity of energy used by separate spaces without high-performance energy efficiency measures but that otherwise comply with applicable building code requirements;
         6. (vi)measurement and verification platforms demonstrating actual energy use of high-performance energy efficiency measures installed in separate spaces, and whether such measures generate the savings intended in the initial design and construction of the separate spaces;
         7. (vii)best practices that encourage an integrated approach to designing and constructing separate spaces to perform at optimum energy efficiency in conjunction with the central systems of a commercial building; and
         8. (viii)any impact on employment resulting from the design and construction of separate spaces with high-performance energy efficiency measures; and
      2. (B)case studies reporting economic and energy savings returns in the design and construction of separate spaces with high-performance energy efficiency measures.
   3. (3)Not later than 90 days after April 30, 2015, the Secretary shall publish a notice in the Federal Register requesting public comments regarding effective methods, measures, and practices for the design and construction of separate spaces with high-performance energy efficiency measures.
   4. (4)The Secretary shall publish the study on the website of the Department of Energy.