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Implementing Sustainable Energy Practices in Commercial Buildings

As concerns about climate change and environmental sustainability continue to grow, businesses are increasingly turning their attention towards adopting greener practices. Among these initiatives, implementing sustainable energy practices in commercial buildings stands out as a crucial step towards reducing carbon emissions and minimizing environmental impact. From energy-efficient design to renewable…

In an era where sustainability has become a focal point for both consumers and corporations, the significance of energy efficiency in modern businesses cannot be overstated. Beyond the altruistic drive to reduce environmental impact, energy efficiency is a strategic imperative for companies seeking to improve their bottom line while minimizing…

In an era marked by a growing awareness of environmental sustainability, federal home energy rebates have emerged as a crucial incentive for homeowners to adopt energy-efficient practices. However, ensuring that the benefits of these rebates reach low-income households remains a challenge. As states navigate the path towards a greener future,…

Construction is a vital component of modern society, but it also has a significant environmental impact, primarily due to the production of traditional cement. Traditional cement manufacturing is responsible for a substantial amount of carbon emissions. However, there’s a promising solution on the horizon: low-carbon cement. In this blog, we’ll…

As the world continues to address the urgent need for more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices, the electrification of buildings is gaining momentum. This transition involves shifting away from fossil fuels and embracing electricity as the primary source of power for heating, cooling, and various other energy needs within buildings….

The automotive industry is at a critical crossroads as the global demand for cleaner and more sustainable transportation solutions continues to grow. While electric vehicles (EVs) have made significant strides in the consumer market, there is a compelling case for vehicle manufacturers to shift their EV development focus to big…

As the world grapples with the urgent need to combat climate change, it becomes increasingly crucial to explore innovative strategies for smart growth to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While efforts like transitioning to renewable energy sources and improving public transportation are well-known solutions, there is an often-overlooked aspect that holds…

Building energy codes play a pivotal role in shaping the sustainability of our built environment. While energy efficiency has long been a primary focus of these codes, there is a growing recognition that they must also prioritize reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In this blog post, we will explore the…

School buses are an important part of ensuring all kids get an education, but they’re also notoriously energy inefficient. As older, diesel school buses rotate out of commission, school districts are increasingly choosing electric school buses to round out their fleets. Here are some ways that electric school buses can…

For decades, scientists have warned that ever-encroaching climate change will affect the world. Today, experts stress that Earth faces irreversible damage if humans fail to lower planet-heating greenhouse gas emissions. They’ve called for an immediate and wide-scale change to reduce reliance on fossil fuels like oil and gas. Major cities…

tenant bills signal need for energy upgrades

As a landlord, you work hard to keep your building in great shape. Your tenants will let you know if there is a problem, such as faulty appliances or pests. But some other aspects of their household might be harder to bring up. You may have to look for areas…

Everyone’s heard the term “carbon footprint,” which measures the amount of carbon dioxide an individual, building, or business generates as a result of energy usage and other activities. But there’s a new term: Carbon handprint. This phrase may more accurately describe the environmental impact of businesses and individuals. What Is…

As electric vehicles (EVs) become more widely accessible and inexpensive, more municipalities are turning to them to outfit their police forces, public transportation, and public works departments. They also are investing in the infrastructure necessary to support recharging individual citizens’ vehicles. While these efforts are all well and good, focusing…

Legislation promoting the use of electric vehicles is becoming commonplace across the country, but plans to decrease the energy output of buildings is less frequent. However, three states recently have enacted legislation aimed at decarbonizing buildings that, hopefully, will chart a course for the rest of the country. Massachusetts On…

As the cost of housing continues to climb, more and more discussion is being had at the highest levels of the need for more widespread affordable housing. However, as a November report from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) shows, currently available affordable housing lags in energy efficiency…

As more and more municipalities undertake energy efficiency plans, it’s becoming easier to separate the good plans from the not-so-great ones. One of the main things that’s emerging is that a lot of municipalities are skipping out on an essential piece of energy efficiency planning: Tracking and evaluating data. Why…

Getting commercial building owners to undertake pricey energy retrofits can be a struggle. Many owners see only the price on the estimate and dismiss the long-term cost savings and benefits that the project will bring with it. To get the maximum amount of cooperation in energy retrofitting efforts, it’s important…

Across the nation, many states are implementing efficiency goals for utility providers, requiring them to invest certain amounts into new efficiency efforts. At first glance, energy efficiency programs might seem counterintuitive for business. After all, providers sell energy by the kilowatt hour. When consumers use more energy, providers make more…

Buildings contribute significant energy waste, especially in large and historic cities. Some people may believe the only way to solve this problem is to entirely replace the old buildings with brand new ones. But, in reality, this is an extremely expensive and inefficient option compared to retrofitting. Retrofitting is the…

Industries have always looked for ways to make work easier and more efficient. Since the invention of the internet, business owners have used digital technology to virtualize elements that don’t need to be completed in person. This trend has only been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. With more people staying…

As a world leader, the U.S. is integral to leading the global fight against climate change. One way that state and local governments can help is by supporting the transformation of industrial centers. Industrial centers are concentrations of companies that specialize in goods or a service in an area. One…

As the threat of climate change looms, cities have begun making changes that help us work toward a solution. One of the most common ways this is done is by investing in renewable energy, such as solar panels and wind farms. Not only are these new facilities great for the…

K-12 schools are some of the most important buildings in any community. In addition to educating future generations, schools also serve as community centers. Other purposes they serve might include voting and polling, seminars, music and theater performances, classes for adults, and acting as an emergency shelter. So it makes…

Today, more and more cities are setting strict energy efficiency standards in order to protect the environment and its people. This might include implementing minimum efficiency requirements for buildings and offering financial incentives to support them, for example. While these requirements are a good start for reducing emissions, there is…

As the push to retrofit and improve affordable housing continues, one element that cannot be overlooked in plans is promoting energy efficiency. If building owners, municipalities, and even the federal government focus on programs to encourage, fund, and promote energy efficiency improvements alongside other practical improvements to affordable housing, a…

As the push to stem the tide of global climate change increases, countries are exploring more ways to curtail carbon emissions on a grand scale. One of the controls many municipalities across the world have put into place is carbon pricing. While the practice has taken off in places such…

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed much about the American way of life, and the way we work is no exception. Even before a large portion of the working population became temporarily remote, the way businesses conceptualized and utilized office space was changing. More companies were embracing hybrid or fully remote…

In May 2021, California’s utility regulators approved new rules to reform the state’s energy efficiency policies with a focus on reducing overall carbon emissions. The prior energy savings goals, set in 2019, were just half of what they were in 2015, largely due to unbalanced screening tests. These tests counted…

President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan, entitled the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework, is a $1.2 trillion effort to make an investment in a more sustainable infrastructure future for America. Designed to find a middle ground between Democrats and Republicans, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework is designed with sustainability in mind while simultaneously working…

Energy is a leading expense for many businesses, especially during the summer months. And with global temperatures showing no signs of stopping their rise, it would seem more hot summer days are on their way in the future. The EPA’s ENERGY STAR program estimates U.S. small businesses collectively spend over…

Energy efficiency is important to most cities and towns, and understanding the right paths to take to improve efficiency can be a challenge. Improving efficiency can result in long-term savings and will help municipalities meet local regulations while achieving broader climate change goals for lasting positive impacts. For cities and…

Your business requires a lot of energy. From running lights and computers to powering heavy machinery, it’s very easy for your energy costs to balloon out of control. On any given day, your energy charges will be more expensive during peak hours, while the same amount of energy will cost…

The energy efficiency world is full of new terms and concepts that can be unfamiliar to the average person. “Building envelope,” “energy audit,” and “renewable energy technologies” are all phrases that, unless you’re part of the energy efficiency movement, may not make any sense. A big term, especially in the…

As the price of traditional utilities has increased and more and more businesses seek to become energy-efficient, installing solar energy options is becoming a choice for many companies. But before you add solar panels to your building’s roof, it’s important to fully investigate whether the cost of investing in solar…

Build Back Better and commercial energy efficiency

As America prepares to transition to a new presidential administration, there also is a lot of speculation about what portions of the Biden administration’s agenda will be implemented. Among the Build Back Better plan – President-elect Joe Biden’s proposal for economic recovery – is a portion regarding energy efficiency measures…

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way businesses operate in both large and small ways. As businesses and buildings are looking to find new ways to get back to business while still protecting people, wave after wave of guidelines have come out. Some of the recommendations, however, aren’t exactly eco-friendly,…

An energy auditing and management plan is great for your business’ carbon footprint, but it serves more purposes than just that. A solid energy auditing and management plan also can help make your business more successful and resilient in the face of disaster. Here are 4 ways that can happen:…

Every three years, the International Code Council makes changes to its proposed International Energy Conservation Code to support improved energy efficiency in residential and commercial construction. Once adopted by the ICC voting members, the code is available for states and local jurisdictions to adopt, giving them a starting point for…

energy efficiency mandates and businesses

To help promote a decrease in wasted energy and stem the tide of climate change, many states and municipalities have taken it upon themselves to draw up mandates for energy efficiency in the absence of a national strategy. These energy efficiency mandates and their ambitious goals are impacting businesses of…

Energy efficiency benchmarking standards in the United States are piecemeal at best, with individual states and cities creating their own requirements and best practices. As a result, the United States has largely lagged behind the rest of the world in terms of overall energy efficiency improvements, with some cities and…

6 Ways to Make Strategic Energy Management More Successful

For many companies looking to save money and reduce their energy expenditures, strategic energy management is a logical step toward creating a comprehensive, effective plan to help move them toward their energy-savings goals. But as with any other strategic planning adopted by organizations, when strategic energy management is not properly…

In February, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy released the results of its 2020 Utility Energy Efficiency Scorecard. This scorecard investigated the 52 largest electric utilities in the United States to see if and how they have made improvements to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Items such as what types…

There are no strangers to the current world catastrophe brought on by COVID-19. Every country, state, city, neighborhood, business, and individual has been affected by this pandemic. The health effects are obvious and present in the news every day. As the world now begins to come out of quarantine, more…

As energy-efficiency efforts across the country grow, so do official energy-efficiency requirements in individual cities. The new year was no exception for changes to energy mandates, with 3 notable changes to large city regulations: Washington, D.C. The Clean Energy DC Omnibus Act of 2018 changed the requirements on the city’s…

Conducting your own energy audit can be a time-consuming process. You spend a great deal of time planning the audit, gathering all your data, and then analyzing that information and coming up with your plan. To give yourself the best chance at a high-quality, low-stress energy audit, here are 4…

Lithium-Ion (Li-ion) based batteries have garnered a lot of attention in recent years for being a capable, lightweight, and relatively cheap means of storing electricity. However, as the old saying goes, Lithium doesn’t grow on trees. What is Lithium? Lithium is an alkali metal, which (if you remember chemistry class)…

Energy auditing used to be a cumbersome, time-consuming process. Conducting an energy audit meant hours spent collecting, organizing, and analyzing data even for small buildings. Thanks to advances in energy auditing software, the auditing process has become faster, easier, and more accurate, giving you better results the first time. Here…

Undertaking energy efficiency and sustainability projects for your commercial building can seem cost-prohibitive. You have to spend time and money determining which projects will make the biggest impact, choose someone to complete your retrofit, and then fund the actual project. If your annual capital improvements budget is tight as it…

Auditing your building’s energy usage is the first step to building a solid plan for improving energy efficiency. Without an energy audit, you may be spending money on projects you think are improving your building’s energy efficiency but that, in reality, aren’t really moving the needle that much. The American…

Going green is all the rage right now, with everyone from large corporations to individual citizens looking for ways to decrease their impact. Among the changes seen by this trend toward sustainability has been an increased demand for energy audits, something that was largely on the fringes more than a…

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