When Transwestern took over management of the Demonet Building in 2009, one of the first things they did was benchmark, or measure and rate, the building’s energy performance. Robert Sloan, the building’s Chief Engineer, said benchmarking helped them see just how much energy the building was consuming. In just three years, with low-cost changes, they … Continued
Finding energy savings in a condominium building poses a challenge. How does a Board of Directors persuade hundreds of individual owners to practice energy efficiency? When Harry Richter, a consultant with High Rise Consulting, began working with the board of the 4600 Connecticut building, he knew there were ways they could save on energy costs … Continued
If interest is high in building energy efficiency in the United States, why aren’t investments in efficiency growing? Experts from local and federal governments, the private sector, and non-government organizations explored that question at a June 2013 Roundtable Dialogue in Washington, D.C., convened by the Johnson Controls Institute for Building Efficiency (IBE) and the Institute … Continued
How would a (hypothetical) four-story, 50,000-square-foot office building built to meet the 2001 energy code differ from an identical building that meets the 2010 code? It would be 41 percent more energy-efficient, for one thing. Find out more by downloading our new infographic, produced in collaboration with the Energy Efficient Buildings Hub (EEB Hub).
Achieving scale in the US: A view from the construction and real estate sectors is an Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) paper commissioned by the Global Buildings Performance Network. This paper focuses on how companies in the U.S. approach energy efficiency investments, the challenges and opportunities they face, and the role played by innovative financing in … Continued
This report presents the results of a state-by-state analysis of the potential energy and cost savings from improving compliance with building energy codes to 100 percent from current levels. The report also examines 45 statewide compliance evaluation studies, providing a summary of evaluation methods and key findings. Evidence in most states indicates that staggering rates … Continued
Bellwether Housing owns and manages 29 apartment buildings that provide affordable housing for more than 3,000 Seattle residents, many of whom are low-income families and seniors. Bellwether aims to keep housing costs as low as possible for its residents, which means keeping energy bills in check. Through Portfolio Manager benchmarking, Bellwether found that annual utility … Continued
When CB Richard Ellis and LaSalle Investment Management began working together in 2006 as the asset service and management providers for Seattle's historic Dexter Horton building, there was a mutual understanding that they would invest in the upgrades needed to make the building as efficient as possible. By using the EPA’s free benchmarking tool, ENERGY … Continued
Hines first began measuring and rating, or benchmarking, the energy performance of Bank of America Fifth Avenue Plaza using the EPA’s free ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool in 2000. It was an eye-opening experience. For the first time, Hines was able to compare the building’s energy performance to similar buildings in the Seattle area as … Continued
An author makes the case that beauty is inherent to true sustainability.