The Jordan Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in the downtown capital city of Concord, New Hampshire. The Jordan Institute advocates for effective and innovative public-policy and market-based solutions which reduce the need for fossil fuels used in commercial buildings.
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Mission
The Jordan Institute's mission is to "advance public, environmental, and economic health by improving energy performance and resiliency in how buildings are designed, built, renovated, operated, and financed."
Vision
The Jordan Institute seeks to achieve the most resilient and sustainable quality of life possible by transforming the energy and built landscape in the region, providing a model for the nation.
Work
The Jordan Institute is composed of staff whose experience includes energy policy, residential construction, engineering, project management, education, historic preservation of buildings, and architecture.
The Jordan Institute advocates for solutions to the biggest barriers to wide-scale adoption of energy efficiency measures in commercial buildings. Current efforts focus on the development of a financing program for energy efficiency projects in commercial buildings.
The Jordan Institute is interested in how public funds are invested to support energy efficiency and renewable energy. They participate in rebate-program development efforts and intervene on the CORE docket (the utility administered energy efficiency programs).
The Jordan Institute completed a strategic plan in early 2013 and determined that their work improving the energy efficiency of buildings had reached a point where the market was ready to lead. In 2013,The Jordan Institute launched Resilient Buildings Group, Inc., a for-profit subsidiary, majority-owned by the Jordan Institute to carry-on its project implementation work - energy audits, monitoring and verification, commissioning, LEED certifications - as well as adding a new service: energy-centric construction management.
The Jordan Institute is a voting member of the EESE Board and participates in its monthly meetings, helping to craft public policy and implement programs which will support energy-efficiency, renewable energy, and green-building projects.
History
In 1995, Doyle E. and Lenore M. Jordan provided the initial gift that launched the Jordan Institute. They had a keen interest in funding research and policy initiatives that explore the link between the environment, public health, and the economy. The Jordan Institute's programs have been based on that general principle. The Jordan Institute benefits from financial support from private individuals and foundations, as well as after-tax profits from their for-profit subsidiary, Resilient Buildings Group, Inc.
Supporters and Partners
The Jordan Institute's funding sources consist of grants, technical assistance consulting, and corporate and individual donations. The Jordan Institute is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization, so contributions may be tax-deductible.
Foundation support has been through the Merck Family Fund, New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, John Merck Fund, the Thomas W. Haas Fund through the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and Rockefeller Brothers Fund.
Partners with Resilient Buildings Group, Inc., Investor Confidence Project of Environmental Defense Fund, One Percent for the Planet, Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce, and ENH Power.
Board of Directors
The Jordan Institute elected new officers to its board of directors in July 2014.
Doug Patch, Chair
Share holder at the Concord-based law firm of Orr & Reno, PA
Mike Mooiman, Treasure
Associate Professor of Energy and Sustainability Studies at Franklin Pierce University
Joanne Cassulo
Formerly of the Office of Energy and Planning and now with Central New Hampshire Regional Planning Commission
Robert McLellan
Founding board member and Associate Professor at the Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
Martha Fuller Clark
New Hampshire State Senator representing District 21
Kenneth Colburn
With Symbiotic Strategies and the Regulatory Assistance Project
Christopher Moore
Of the Pollution Prevention Program at the Department of Environmental Science
Stuart White
Architect and former partner in the firm Banwell and White
C-PACE
The Jordan Institute has taken the first step in developing a C-PACE program for the state of New Hampshire. They have teamed up with Sustainable Real Estate Solutions, based out of Trumbull, Connecticut to develop and administer this new program in New Hampshire. Sustainable Real Estate Solutions has already implemented this program in the state of Connecticut.
C-PACE stands for Property Assessed Clean Energy financing for Commercial buildings. It is a financing tool that connects private financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects to privately owned commercial buildings through a municipal tax assessment on the building. This ties the repayment to the building not the borrower.
C-PACE is entirely an opt-in program for municipalities, capital providers, contractors, existing mortgage holders and buildings. Municipalities and voters that adopt C-PACE tool designate the district and receive a fee to cover administration costs. The capital source of the project will determine the scale of the project.
The Jordan Institute will facilitate relationships between municipalities, capital providers, commercial building owners, engineers, builders, installers and contractors. All projects must project that energy cost savings exceed the cost to install and repay. For the project to be cash-flow positive, the energy savings must outweigh the loan repayment.
C-PACE projects can be implemented in a host of different commercial buildings including: hotels, convention centers, manufacturing facilities, heated warehouses, agricultural buildings, small retail, big box stores, historic buildings, health clubs, athletic facilities, malls, and buildings owned by non-profit organizations.
Prior to implementation of a project, an outside independent source must conduct an energy audit, which involves energy and financial benchmarking. An energy audit will ensure that the energy efficiency measures installed are appropriate for the building and will perform and produce an energy-cost savings-to-investment ratio of greater than one.
Projects can included:
The C-PACE program has many enticing features, RSA-53:F finds PACE to achieve the public benefits of protecting the economic and social well-being by reducing energy costs in the community and risks to the community associated with future escalation in energy prices, and addressing the threat of global climate change; and that the energy conservation and efficiency and clean energy improvements will serve the public purposes and not primarily be for the benefit of private persons or uses even though such private benefits and uses may incidentally result.
Resilient Buildings Group
In July 2013, the Jordan Institute launched a for-profit subsidiary, Resilient Buildings Group, Inc., to manage its building-energy projects in the field. Resilient Buildings Group applies building science to construction projects in the field to make commercial buildings more energy efficient, resilient, and comfortable.
As majority owners, Jordan Institute's mission to improve the energy performance in commercial buildings has a platform to scale-up and comprehensively address many buildings throughout the northeast. RBG is handling all new in-the-field energy and construction projects.
Team
Laura Richardson, Executive Director
Prudy Veysey, Office Manager
Dana Nute, General Manager, RBG
Paul Leveille, High Performance Building Specialist, RBG
Alison Keay, Building Energy Analyst, RBG
Kathy Donohue, CPA/Bookkeeper
Theresa Spear, IT Specialist