Descripción

Texas requires state government departments to compare the cost of providing energy alternatives for new and reconstructed state government buildings and for certain construction or repair to energy systems and equipment. The governing body must determine economic feasibility of incorporating alternative energy for space heating and cooling, water heating, electricity, and interior lighting by comparing the estimated cost of providing energy for the function using conventional design practices and energy systems with the estimated cost of providing energy for the function using energy efficient architecture and design or alternative energy devices during the economic life of the building. If the use of alternative energy devices for a particular function is economically feasible, then the use of alternative energy devices must be included in construction plans.

Alternative energy is defined to include solar, biomass, wind, and geothermal energy sources (Texas Government Code § 2166.403). The Texas State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) has the authority for approving any methodology or electronic software used to make the required comparisons. Further details are available on the program web site.

When constructing or extensively renovating a critical governmental facility or replacing major heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning equipment for a critical governmental facility, the state governing body in charge of the facility must evaluate whether equipping the facility with a combined heating and power system would result in expected energy savings that would exceed the expected costs of purchasing, operating, and maintaining the system over a 20-year period. “Critical government facilities” are those that “serve a critical public health or public safety function” (e.g., police and fire stations, prisons, hospitals, data centers, water and wastewater facilities, etc.) that have a peak electricity demand exceeding 500 kilowatts. If the expected energy savings exceed the expected costs, the state governing body in charge of the facility may equip the facility with a combined heating and power system (Texas Government Code § 2311.002).