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Green Your Facility, Boost Your Bottom Line
By Lisa Raffin
The most energy-efficient businesses in the U.S. can consume a third less energy than a more conventional company. By arming themselves with knowledge about the financial benefits of sustainability upgrades, facility managers can make these efficiency programs an easy sell.
Smart Water Management: A Low-Risk Green Initiative with a Fast Payback
By Tom Ash
By gaining control over water use, companies help protect a precious resource, reduce runoff pollution and comply with new conservation legislation. Saving water also has a powerful multiplier effect by reducing the vast amount of energy expended in transporting it.
Homebuilders Getting Greener, But Lacking Sustainability Leader
All of the 13 largest U.S. homebuilders have taken up green building practices, but even though some are doing much more than others, there is no standout sustainable homebuilder, according to a new report.
REI Releases Second Stewardship Report, Shows Progress, Obstacles
The outdoor retailer’s 2007 Stewardship Report finds a range of improvements in overall environmental performance and reporting, although it also highlights areas for improvement in reducing emissions and supply chain auditing.
Target Turns to Submetering to Track Energy Use
More than 200 Target stores have been fitted with submetering systems so building managers can closely monitor how energy is used throughout their facilities.
RREEF Commits to Real Estate Sustainability Challenge
RREEF North America, part of Deutsche Bank, has taken up the voluntary 7-Point Challenge of commercial real estate environmental goals.
LEED Certification Could Benefit from Booming Industry in Coming Years: Report
As existing buildings become more efficient and new buildings are designed to have a much smaller impact, the green building industry is growing rapidly, from $12 billion in revenues last year to more than $42 billion by 2015, according to a new report from Frost & Sullivan, and LEED is the certification of choice for that industry, although it faces some obstacles to continued success.
Green HQ for Discovery’s ‘Choppers’
Made famous in the Discovery Channel show, “American Choppers,” Orange County Choppers is now housed in a 92,000 square-foot building that sports exterior glazing upgrades, daylight harvesting, variable air volume system, efficient rooftop HVAC equipment, efficient lighting and demand-based garage exhaust, among other features.
Sustainability Gaining Interest in Landscape Architecture Industry: Survey
Nearly three-quarters of landscape architects said in a recent survey that their clients are very interested in sustainable issues. Top issues relate to water, energy efficiency, accreditation, habitat and green roofs.
Vestar Commits to Green Retail Spaces
The company’s GreenStar initiative will push Vestar toward the development of LEED-certified retail spaces. Vestar is currently testing LEED guidelines for the retail sector as part of a pilot program.
AIA Names Top 10 Green Building Projects
Their purposes vary — schools, condominiums, even a non-profit headquarters — but their sustainable architecture and green building innovations scored 10 projects from across the country a nod from the American Institute of Architects.
D.C. Area Governments, Businesses Plan 400 Building Retrofits
Area governments and business plan to improve the energy efficiency of more then 400 buildings, with investments from government topping $170 million.
Wood Products and Carbon Protocols
This report from Dovetail Partners looks at how the storage of carbon within wood products and the low energy and fossil fuel intensity of wood products has been ignored by policy analysts.
