The Honeydew Blog
Key Energy News from the DMV and Beyond
The First Deadline for DC’s Building Energy Performance Standards is Approaching
April 1st, 2023 marks the first deadline for the DC Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS). Properties over 50,000 square feet with an Energy Star Score below the DC median score, and multifamily buildings with a score of 66, must report their selected...
Rockville Non-Profit SGAP Leaders uses Climate Education to Empower Students
SGAP Leaders is a non profit program based in Rockville, Maryland that provides opportunities for motivated, underserved students to develop leadership and critical skills needed for college and career readiness. They are now focused on helping middle and...
Proposed DC Legislation Could Create Solar Windfall
On the local level, the Building Energy Performance Standards CREF Amendment Act of 2022 and the Local Solar Expansion Amendment Act of 2022, if passed in the current form, could lead to push up values of SRECs (Solar Renewable Energy Credits) for the next few...
Big Boon for Solar in the Inflation Reduction Act
OK, let’s admit it, we’ve become a bit unaccustomed to good news emanating from Washington, DC. But, this week we have a reason to be excited: the Inflation Reduction Act is set to dramatically incentivize investment in new solar PV systems. The Inflation Reduction...
New Community Solar Program for Condos, HOAs, and Co-ops
Serving on the Board of a Condo, HOA or Co-op is an extremely important responsibility that can often feel thankless or under-appreciated. Too often the only time people notice your efforts is when someone has a complaint. At Honeydew, we work day in and day out with...
DC BEPS Case Study: Solar PPA and HVAC Upgrade
For many condos and co-ops, complying with DC’s new Building Energy and Performance Standards (BEPS) may feel like a hardship. We are very excited to share a project that we are currently working on where the community is using BEPS as an opportunity to significantly...
DC’s New 2022 Benchmarking Requirements
The District of Columbia’s benchmarking program has continued to expand the scope of its mandatory reporting requirements. In 2022, it will lower the threshold from 50,000 square feet Gross Floor Area (GFA) to 25,000 square feet. Every privately owned property in DC...
Bump that SACP: Why Maryland’s Commercial Solar Market is Heading Up
As readers of the blog know, there are several key factors that explain the price of SRECs (Solar Renewable Energy Credits). One of these factors is the Solar Alternative Compliance Payment (SACP). The SACP is the fee that energy retailers (like Pepco and...
Is Your Building Subject to a Building Energy Performance Standard?
This week owners and property managers of properties exceeding 50k square feet in the District of Columbia received a letter from the Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) informing them of whether their building is subject to Building Energy Performance...
Where are DC SREC prices headed in 2021?
Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs) remain the foremost driving force behind the deployment of solar PV in Washington, DC. What’s more, they are also the least understood and most difficult factor to forecast when modeling cash flows of a solar investment. This...
Fines for DC BEPS Noncompliance
The fines for failing to comply with the District of Columbia’s Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) can be steep. Thankfully, as of 2021, they currently only apply to buildings over 50,000 total square feet and DC’s Office of Energy and Environment accepts...
Solar PV Integration with Green Roofs
Roofs in urban areas can be very valuable real estate. Besides protecting occupants from the elements, they can also be used for amenity space, hosting cell towers, HVAC equipment, window washing anchors, skylights, compact wind turbines, … just to name a few. Adding...
Should I wait for a better deal on solar panels?
We get this question quite a bit so thought we’d address it in our blog. Here’s how the argument goes: given that the price of solar panels continues to decline significantly each year, while their efficiency increases, it would stand to reason that someone could get...
Requirements for New Commercial Solar Constructions in DC Explained
A key part of the DC Construction Code Supplement of 2017 requires that newly constructed commercial buildings meet certain renewable energy requirements. Though there are various pathways to compliance, we will focus on the onsite renewable energy codes for the...
DC’s Multifamily Benchmarking and Efficiency Requirements
Imagine it’s May 1st. We’ve hopefully gotten through the worst of this pandemic, but you are still playing catchup after coordinating a new disinfection service for the common areas of your property. In your mail you find a “Notice of Violation” from DC’s Office of...
Explaining the DC BEPS (Building Energy Performance Standards)
As a property owner or manager in District of Columbia, the most important new regulatory system you should be aware of for 2021 is the Building Energy Performance Standards or BEPS. BEPS was a major aspect of the 2018 Clean Energy DC Omnibus Act and established one...
What does a Biden administration mean for your energy bills?
OK, it’s election season and for the first time this millennium, it looks like we’ve got a President who’s going to get booted out of office after only 4 years. The new Biden administrations will likely have a very different viewpoint on national energy policies. So...
The State of Solar in Montgomery County, MD
By Stewart Lawrence In Montgomery County, Maryland, a progressive jurisdiction where support for renewable energy is widespread, there's been a notable jump in solar installations. In 2010, there were just 150 homes in the county with solar panels. That figure...