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Energy Savings Performance Contracting

  • Overview
  • Owner's Representative
  • Financing
  • Measurement and Verification
  • Tools
  • Webinars
  • Templates
Login page for the training
Performance Contracting National Resource Center (PCNRC) Training Certificate Series

The Performance Contracting National Resource Center (PCNRC) Training Certificate Series is an accredited, on-demand interactive eight-part series designed to support performance contracting and workforce development in the federal and MUSH markets (i.e., municipalities and state governments, universities and colleges, K-12 schools, and hospitals), provided at no cost to trainees. This training series supports the professional development of emerging and experienced professionals alike and provides the opportunity for individuals to earn continuing education credits and demonstrate their proficiency in performance contracting. See this one-pager from the U.S. Department of Energy for more information. 

Link to Training
Front page cover of report, inside classroom
Performance-Based Contracting: A Primer for K-12 Schools (2016)

Description: Briefing document that introduces ESPCs as a mechanism for project implementation, and describes how ESPCs can deliver value for schools in terms of delivering energy savings and reducing operating costs, while improving occupant comfort and productivity. 

Link to Primer
Large stone building with Department of Energy Logo on top
K-12 Energy Benchmark Factsheet

Factsheet that summarizes ESPC performance metrics based on projects entered in the NAESCO database, namely implementation cost, energy performance and energy cost savings and simple payback period. 

Link to Sheet
Department of Energy EERE logo
An Ally in Your Corner: Benefits of Using Owner’s Representatives

Description: Briefing document that outlines the value of including an Owner’s Representative on the customers project team. The value of this approach is typically well understood by practitioners, given the range of issues involved in moving a project through the development process, all the while ensuring good practices are maintained, and preserving value for the customer.

Link to Brief
Cover page of report
Guide: Financing Energy Upgrades for K-12 Schools (2013)

Comprehensive, high-level review of project financing options specific to the K-12 sector, including a summary of standard public and private sector offerings. Case studies including in the document provide additional detail on each of the options identified.

Link to Report
Energy Star logo
Finding money for energy-efficiency projects in the public sector

Paper describing how energy services performance contracts (ESPCs), tax-exempt lease-purchase agreements, energy efficiency bonds, and state green banks may offer you practical solutions when no money is available in the current budget for further improvements. It also provides clear financial reasoning and cost modeling, which demonstrate that energy efficiency projects really can pay for themselves within existing operating and capital budgets.

Link to Paper
Financial table from report
DOE guide on bond financing

October 2020:

Guide for non-finance experts, describing how bonds may be accessed and utilized to pay for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.

Link to Guide
Guide cover with large building in background
MUSH market financing options primer

Guide describing financing mechanisms available to municipal and State entities such as public schools. Along with an overview of these, it outlines the roles that State and local government offices can adopt to support successful implementation. 

Link to Guide
Cover of briefing document
Successful M&V strategies

Briefing document providing state ESPC program administrators—the individuals who oversee or provide ESPC technical support to their constituent state, local, healthcare, and/or educational facilities—with a selection of tested strategies to support successful M&V of ESPCs implemented in the state and local public sector.

Link to Brief
Icons used for 3 different ePX benefits
eProject eXpress (ePX)

eProject eXpress (ePX) provides a streamlined, tailored pathway for state and local governments to document, track, and demonstrate the ongoing value of their energy savings performance contracting (ESPC) projects and programs.

Leveraging the established eProject Builder (ePB) platform—a robust online energy project data management system—ePX unlocks new capabilities to meet the unique data management and reporting needs of the municipal and state governments, universities and colleges, schools, and hospitals (MUSH) market.

ePX is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and hosted by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL).

Link to webpage
Different options to click on, such as "project planning"
ESPC Virtual Technical Assistant

Website page formatted interactive guide to support the complete and best practice implementation of ESPC projects. In general, it aims to support state and local practitioners considering ESPCs as a project implementation vehicle, better understand the process and necessary steps through to project execution. In particular, it is intended as a handholding resource for potential new customer stakeholders.

Link to Planner
Decision tree for financing options
DOE ESPC Implementation – Decision Tree

Flowchart that walks users through the potential financing options available for State and City government ESPC projects – the assumption is that this will be broadly applicable to school districts, although this requires confirmation. 

Link to Flowchart
Checklist in image form
ESPC Checklist

One pager containing a list of questions around the characteristics of potential projects that supports preliminary self-diagnosis to determine whether ESPC is an appropriate delivery vehicle for specific projects, and also quick filter for project prioritization.

Link to Checklist
Map of the United States
NASEO State Energy Loan Fund Map

Online interactive guide to State-approved energy project financing programs across the US by individual State, including Green Bank, PACE, and on-bill financing. 

Link to Guide
Small portion of calculator, as a sample
Energy Escalation Rate Calculator (EERC)

Tool for estimating escalation rates for ESPC project payments year-on-year and over the term of the contract. This tool appears designed for use at the contracting stage, in order to compare ESCO terms offered with an independent, calculated benchmark.

Link to Calculator
Separate images of building and people planning
Better Buildings ESPC Webinar Series

YouTube-hosted webinar of the same material included in the Virtual Technical Assistant. In this format, subject matter experts present the material, describing the challenges and key considerations of implementing projects at each step, and field questions from participants on the original webinar. There are 5 webinars in total, with between 40 mins and around one hour of content in each one.

Topics: considering ESPC, implementing ESPC projects, establishing an EPSC program, expanding ESPC to new markets, evaluating ESPC results

Link to Webinars
List of document categories
Model documents for contracting with an ESCO

Exhaustive list of model documents for ESPC contracting process. Reference to these documents will help avoid significant early work in the following major areas:

  • Prequalifying and selecting potential ESCO partners
  • Executing an investment grade audit with an ESCO partner
  • Implementing an Energy Savings Performance Contract
  • Negotiating financing terms and associated energy performance

These are a model document only and do not attempt to identify or address all circumstances or conditions.

Link to Documents
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