Energy efficient products

(a) Agencies shall select, when life-cycle cost-effective, ENERGY STAR and other energy efficient products when acquiring energy-using products. For product groups where ENERGY STAR labels are not yet available, agencies may select products that are in the upper twenty-five per cent of energy efficiency as designated by the United States Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, federal energy management program. (b) Agencies shall incorporate energy-efficient criteria consistent with designated energy-efficiency levels into product specification language developed for all purchasing procedures. (c) The State shall consider the creation of financing agreements with private sector suppliers to provide private funding to offset higher up-front costs of efficient products. (d) Agencies entering into leases, including the renegotiation or extension of existing leases, shall: (1) Incorporate lease provisions that encourage energy and water efficiency wherever life-cycle cost-effective. Build-to-suit lease solicitations shall contain criteria encouraging sustainable design and development, energy efficiency, and verification of facility performance; (2) Include a preference for facilities having an ENERGY STAR building label in their selection criteria for acquiring leased facilities; and (3) Encourage lessors to apply for an ENERGY STAR building label and to explore and implement projects that will reduce costs to the State, including projects carried out through the lessors' energy-savings contracts.