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The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system was designed 12 years ago to help architects, designers, and real estate firms “improve energy efficiency and increase the use of recycled materials and nontoxic paint into their projects.” The LEED rating system has since grown into a global standard and powerful  accomplishment. Right now […]

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy recently released their sixth annual state scorecard. The ACEEE measures states energy efficiency initiatives. The top states include Massachusetts, California, and Oregon. The three most improved states are Oklahoma (thanks to newly enacted natural gas efficiency programs), Montana, and South Carolina. States most in need of improvement include […]

The Swedish-based furniture chain recently announced a new green initiative  Ikea is phasing out sales of all lighting that is not LED-based by 2016 “in an effort to help customers save energy, reduce electricity bills, and cut carbon emissions.” Ikea is the first major home furnishing retailer with a U.S. presence to entirely banish less efficient […]

Google’s data center in Mayes County, Oklahoma will be running more efficiently soon. The search engine giant announced last week that it would buy wind energy from the Grand River Dam Authority to purchase energy. This will be the first time Google has partnered with a utility to buy renewable energy. The GRDA will provide […]

Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are more prevalent in lighting retrofits, especially as many companies are looking to their utilities to provide rebates. The rebates offer a large energy savings that takes reduces upfront costs. “Utilities across the country show limited prescriptive rebate support for LED lighting,” found a report by Groom Energy and GTM research. […]

A growing number of businesses are beginning to use renewable energy sources exclusively, according to a new report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) and Vestas. The 2012 Corporate Renewable Energy Index “ranked 300 global companies based on their voluntary sourcing of renewable energy, and the reasons why they do it.” Researchers found that nearly […]

The more you know about your building and its energy efficiency potential, the more you will begin to recognize opportunities to control energy consumption and costs. Have an energy professional perform an audit of your facility to determine your energy-efficiency priorities Lighting retrofits are quick, easy and have short paybacks Install occupancy sensors & task […]

A recent survey found that 80 percent of real estate investors and managers have sustainability strategies and dedicated resources to implement it. What’s more is that 60 percent have been collecting and reporting energy consumption data this year. The 2012 Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) Report  included data from 450 property companies that provides […]

Electricity for lighting is one of the biggest business expenses, so why aren’t more businesses using motion sensors? Using motion sensors can reduce your energy load while saving costs on your monthly electricity bill. Motion sensors can give you stress-free control of your interior and exterior lighting. These devices can also increase bulb life hour expectancy, because each time […]