Better Buildings Act of 2013

Summary: Better Buildings Act of 2013 - Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to require the Department of Energy's (DOE) Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy to study the feasibility of: (1) significantly improving energy efficiency in commercial buildings through the design and construction of separate spaces with high-performance energy efficiency measures, and (2) encouraging owners and tenants to implement such measures in separate spaces. Requires the Secretary to publish such study on DOE's website. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Secretary of Energy to develop a voluntary Tenant Star program within the Energy Star program to recognize tenants in commercial buildings that voluntarily achieve high levels of energy efficiency in separate spaces. Requires DOE's Administrator of the Energy Information Administration to collect data on categories of building occupancy that consume significant quantities of energy and on other aspects of the property, building operation, or building occupancy determined to be relevant to lowering energy consumption. Prohibits the impact on climate change from being a factor in determining energy efficiency of commercial building tenants.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Better Buildings Act of 2013''.

SEC. 2. SEPARATE SPACES WITH HIGH-PERFORMANCE ENERGY EFFICIENCY 
              MEASURES.

    Subtitle B of title IV of the Energy Independence and Security Act 
of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17081 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

``SEC. 424. SEPARATE SPACES WITH HIGH-PERFORMANCE ENERGY EFFICIENCY 
              MEASURES.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) High-performance energy efficiency measure.--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) Separate spaces.--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.
    ``(b) Study.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        enactment of this section, the Secretary, acting through the 
        Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, 
        shall complete a study on the feasibility of--
                    ``(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
                    ``(B) encouraging owners and tenants to implement 
                high-performance energy efficiency measures in separate 
                spaces.
            ``(2) Scope.--The study shall, at a minimum, include--
                    ``(A) descriptions of--
                            ``(i) high-performance energy efficiency 
                        measures that should be considered as part of 
                        the initial design and construction of separate 
                        spaces;
                            ``(ii) processes that owners, tenants, 
                        architects, and engineers may replicate when 
                        designing and constructing separate spaces with 
                        high-performance energy efficiency measures;
                            ``(iii) standards and best practices to 
                        achieve appropriate energy intensities for 
                        lighting, plug loads, pipe loads, heating, 
                        cooling, cooking, laundry, and other systems to 
                        satisfy the needs of the commercial building 
                        tenant;
                            ``(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 tax and other 
                        available incentives;
                            ``(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;
                            ``(vi) measurement and verification 
                        platforms demonstrating actual energy use of 
                        high-performance energy efficiency measures 
                        installed in separate spaces, and whether the 
                        measures generate the savings intended in the 
                        initial design and construction of the separate 
                        spaces;
                            ``(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
                            ``(viii) any impact on employment resulting 
                        from the design and construction of separate 
                        spaces with high-performance energy efficiency 
                        measures; and
                    ``(B) case studies reporting economic and energy 
                saving returns in the design and construction of 
                separate spaces with high-performance energy efficiency 
                measures.
            ``(3) Public participation.--Not later than 90 days after 
        the date of enactment of this section, 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) Publication.--The Secretary shall publish the study 
        on the website of the Department of Energy.''.

SEC. 3. TENANT STAR PROGRAM.

    Subtitle B of title IV of the Energy Independence and Security Act 
of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17081 et seq.) (as amended by section 2) is amended 
by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 425. TENANT STAR PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) High-performance energy efficiency measure.--The term 
        `high-performance energy efficiency measure' has the meaning 
        given the term in section 424.
            ``(2) Separate spaces.--The term `separate spaces' has the 
        meaning given the term in section 424.
    ``(b) Tenant Star.--The Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency and the Secretary shall develop a voluntary program 
within the Energy Star program established by section 324A of the 
Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6294a), which may be 
known as Tenant Star, to promote energy efficiency in separate spaces 
leased by tenants or otherwise occupied within commercial buildings.
    ``(c) Agreements.--Responsibilities under the program developed 
under subsection (b) shall be divided between the Secretary and the 
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in accordance with 
the terms of applicable agreements between the Secretary and the 
Administrator.
    ``(d) Expanding Survey Data.--The Secretary, acting through the 
Administrator of the Energy Information Administration, shall--
            ``(1) collect, through each Commercial Building Energy 
        Consumption Survey of the Energy Information Administration 
        that is conducted after the date of enactment of this section, 
        data on--
                    ``(A) categories of building occupancy that are 
                known to consume significant quantities of energy, such 
                as occupancy by law firms, data centers, trading 
                floors, restaurants, retail outlets, and financial 
                services firms; and
                    ``(B) other aspects of the property, building 
                operation, or building occupancy determined by the 
                Administrator of the Energy Information Administration, 
                in consultation with the Administrator of the 
                Environmental Protection Agency, to be relevant in 
                lowering energy consumption; and
            ``(2) make data collected under paragraph (1) available to 
        the public in aggregated form and provide the data, and any 
        associated results, to the Administrator of the Environmental 
        Protection Agency for use in accordance with subsection (e).
    ``(e) Recognition of Owners and Tenants.--
            ``(1) Occupancy-based recognition.--Not later than 1 year 
        after the date on which the data described in subsection (d) is 
        received, the Secretary and the Administrator of the 
        Environmental Protection Agency shall, following an opportunity 
        for public notice and comment--
                    ``(A) in a manner similar to the Energy Star rating 
                system for commercial buildings, develop voluntary 
                policies and procedures to recognize tenants that 
                voluntarily achieve high levels of energy efficiency in 
                separate spaces;
                    ``(B) establish building occupancy categories 
                eligible for Tenant Star recognition based on the data 
                collected under subsection (d)(1) and any associated 
                results; and
                    ``(C) consider other forms of recognition for 
                commercial building tenants or other occupants that 
                lower energy consumption in separate spaces.
            ``(2) Design- and construction-based recognition.--After 
        the study required under section 424(b) is completed and 
        following an opportunity for public notice and comment, the 
        Administrator of the Environmental Protection and the Secretary 
        may develop a voluntary program to recognize commercial 
        building owners and tenants that use high-performance energy 
        efficiency measures in the design and construction of separate 
        spaces.
    ``(f) Effect on Climate Change.--For purposes of this section, the 
impact on climate change shall not be a factor in determining the 
energy efficiency of commercial building tenants.''.