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The World Green Building Council recently released “The Business Case for Green Building” a report that reviews the costs and benefits for developers, investors, and occupants. The report highlights the “large number of compelling benefits from green buildings received by different stakeholders throughout the life cycle of the building.” Attaching a financial value to the cost and […]

Compared to much of the world, the U.S. ranks the highest in wasting energy, according to a recent Forbes guest post written by Tom King, the president of an electric and gas company. But the Commission on National Energy Efficiency Policy is looking to change that. The bipartisan coalition recently released Energy 2030, a plan […]

Energy management and reducing energy is a goal for any business, especially when utility rates continue to climb. So here are ten tips for better energy management to help your business cut its energy use. Engage objective experts: working with objective experts often yields the best results because they have no immediate stake in the […]

Energy benchmarking is making its way to the Midwest in 2014 when Minneapolis will be the first Midwest city to require large commercial buildings to report their energy and water use annually. Energy benchmarking presents an opportunity for building owners and property managers to identify areas for improvement to increase energy efficiency and reduce operating […]

This is a departure from our typical technology post, but it's still a vital part of any energy efficient project. I'm talking about utility rates. On average, utility rates typically rise 6-8 percent annually. At a time of record high fuel prices, historic environmental challenges, and industrial structural change, the nation's demand for reliable electric […]

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) producers have a surplus of shale gas, so what does that mean for us? Natural gas producers can either sell the fuel here in the U.S. or export it to Asia and Europe, where LNG fetches much higher prices. The America's Energy Advantage is a coalition created by U.S. manufacturers to […]

What a year! Energy efficiency continues to be a growing field that many consumers and business owners are embracing. With the phase out of inefficient T12 lighting, many businesses understand the need for efficient lighting including LED, plasma, and induction. Renewable energy also had a big year, especially in Kansas City where several large solar […]

When it comes to energy efficiency, picking the low-hanging fruit might not be the best solution. While energy efficiency and utility savings are attractive, many companies implement the most cost-effective retrofits and quickest return on investment. Picking the low-hanging fruit implies there's more work to be done, and most people don't do the latter. Progress […]

This is the first in a series of posts about lighting maintenance. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, lighting accounts for an estimated 20 percent of the total energy used in commercial buildings. More often than not, many buildings do not have a detailed lighting maintenance policy other than replacing burned-out bulbs. Poor lighting […]