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Illinois 31st State Senate District
Building labels aim to make state more energy-efficient
SPRINGFIELD, IL— New environmental legislation sponsored by State Senator Michael Bond (D-Grayslake) was signed by Governor Quinn this weekend. Bond’s bill will address the amount of energy that buildings across the state consume.
Senate Bill 3429 requires the Capital Development Board (CDB), in conjunction with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), to initiate a study of building energy performance measures to create a simple label that indicates a building’s energy use. The Board will report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly so that further action to improve efficiency and reduce consumption can be taken.
"The concept behind a building label is to allow public and private entities to easily identify the energy-efficiency of a building with an easy to read, standardized measurement," Bond said. "Providing a label will also help potential buyers who are interested in purchasing environmentally-friendly property."
As part of its study, the CDB must identify at least 10 buildings to serve as case studies for measuring, reporting, and comparing the energy consumption using widely recognized and accepted indicators. The study is designed to develop a comprehensive and standardized platform to benchmark historic and current energy usage patterns, identify and prioritize locations for energy efficiency upgrades, and document the impact of ongoing energy-efficiency and cost control policies and practices. Consideration will be given for a variety of representative building types in different geographic regions of the state to provide additional information and data.
"As the ‘green’ sector becomes more popular and prosperous, it is important that we make proactive efforts to keep Illinois at the forefront of this industry," Bond said. "Applying these labels will help identify areas of need and motivate property owners to make the necessary upgrades. Making these investments will help increase the value of the property and reduce its impact on the environment."
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