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Energy benchmarking is becoming a must for large cities, with Boston being the latest one. Benchmarking mandates the measurement and disclosure of energy use for large buildings, and is meant to help building owners understand their energy use better, and to take action in poorly performing buildings. In an effort to inspire action, the Lawrence […]

Corporate sustainability reporting has been enacted in many large companies as a way to track energy usage. When done incorrectly however, CSR can do more harm than good. Here are ten mistakes to avoid for your CSR report: Weak goals: know what success looks like for your company and build your CSR around that Mismanaged […]

High performance buildings are showing they can attain net zero energy in just a year. Net zero buildings typically generate most of the power they use from renewables onsite. The International Living Future Institute (ILFI) created a Net Zero Energy Building Certification in 2011 to recognize the green buildings. Each certification requires performance monitoring for […]

Add Boston to the list of cities that have approved energy benchmarking. The city ordinance will require larger commercial and residential buildings to report annual energy and water usage to the city, making the information available for the public. Seven other cities have enacted energy benchmarking including New York, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco. California […]

According to the Bloomberg Businessweek, there could be 25 million natural gas vehicles on roads worldwide by 2019. The gas shale revolution turned the U.S. into the world's second-largest natural gas producer, and increased supply enough to meet current U.S. consumption for 100 years. The U.S. already has 1,000 natural gas fueling stations (half of […]

Despite its growth, green building may still have to present its case to businesses. With the amount of investment and the length of ROI, green building costs may be more than they're worth. Therefore, it's worth listening to the U.S. education sector, and what it has learned from its green building efforts. According to the […]

For organizations and companies, sustainability reporting gives significant data on economic, environmental, social, and governance performance. As more entities are applying sustainability to their activities, standardized reporting may become a necessity. The GRI Reporting article explains how sustainability reporting has expanded to cities, states, universities, airports, and marine ports. Mike Wallace, the director of Global […]

Automated lighting can come in handy to businesses looking to reduce the costs of lighting systems. Lighting controls rely on consistent programming to ensure the lights are off when there are no occupants, and that lights stay at the appropriate level. "Automated lighting isn't limited to one design. Whether it's an independent fixture control, a […]

For a building manager, managing lighting costs can provide major energy savings. Lighting systems account for up to 35 percent of a commercial building's total electrical load, so an efficient lighting strategy is essential if you're looking for savings. There are some simple measures that building managers can take for further energy savings. Check the […]