Blog

A new report questions the value of energy benchmarking laws, especially in terms of what they are meant to achieve. Robert Stavins, an environmental economist at Harvard University, examined "whether mandatory benchmarking and auditing rules can achieve what they're meant to do." Energy benchmarking has worked its way to the Midwest as a way to […]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed achievable standards for cars that will significantly reduce harmful pollution, and also improve efficiency in the cars and trucks we drive. It could also prevent thousands of premature deaths and illnesses in respiratory ailments in children. "Today's proposed standards – which will protect the most vulnerable – are the next […]

Sustainable building designs are a modern work of art, and architecture is an essential part for sustainable innovation. Buildings use about half the annual energy and emissions in the U.S., and three-quarters of its electricity. Since the beginning of the LEED rating system, more than 10 billion square feet of construction has been certified or […]

Last year, New York City required its commercial buildings to disclose their energy consumption. The benchmarking plan saw many surprises including finding newer LEED buildings ranked behind much older buildings when it came to energy efficiency. Take for instance the New York Times building, which is seeing more impressive gains in efficiency. Constructed in 2007, the […]

A recent study found that simple behavior changes can drastically lower energy use in commercial buildings. So does this mean the end of retrofits? FirstFuel, a Massachusetts-based company that analyzes energy consumption in buildings, says that behavioral changes are a primary driver to efficiency problems in commercial buildings. The company examined utility data for 60 […]

While still in its beginning stage, companies and investors are beginning to meld together sustainability reporting with traditional financial reporting for their companies. Most sustainability reports contain information about the impacts and risks of sustainability strategies. But a growing movement is shaping up to push companies toward integrated reporting that combines conventional financial information along […]

The emerging green technology sector may be delivering the economic benefits its advocates have long said it would. According to a year-end report from Environmental Entrepreneurs, more than 300 new renewable energy or clean transportation projects, facilities projects, and facilities were announced in 2012, promising an estimated 110,000 new jobs. Sectors covered in the report include […]

As data increases and businesses are taking a proactive approach to energy savings, there's a growing opportunity to capture it with application software. Apps are a great way to monitor and make use of this data for consumers and professionals. The growth of apps in sustainability is all about data. "Energy, water, waste, toxics, carbon – […]

The streets of Buffalo, New York are a little brighter these days. The city recently updated their street lighting to LED, increasing security, safety, and savings for the city. During 2011, commercial and institutional buildings, and street and highway lighting, consumed "about 275 billion kilowatt hours for lighting or 21 percent of commercial electricity consumed," […]