Facilities Management & Energy

Now that the foundations of sustainable enterprise have been poured, we’ll shift our attention to building on top of them. Literally. This section explores the LEED® Green Building Rating System™, a system developed in 2000 by the U.S. Green Building Council as a way to encourage adoption of sustainable building practices and universal tools and performance criteria.

Buildings generate nearly half of all greenhouse gas emissions. For most corporations and federal agencies, they’re the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases. Meanwhile, the average LEED certified building uses 32 percent less electricity, consumes 30 to 50 percent less energy, and draws 40 percent less potable water than a standard building.

As such, even modest investment in energy-saving, sustainable construction technologies can yield environmentally responsible, profitable, and healthy buildings and communities. Here, you’ll read about regulatory codes, rising energy costs, carbon tax issues, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, the innovation and design process itself, and the importance of analysis and evaluation of energy efficiency measures.

• Solution Provider

  TRIRIGA Real Estate Environmental Sustainability (TREES)

  Reduce the environmental impact of your buildings to achieve environmental sustainability   Increase Shareholder Value and Achieve Environmental Sustainability TRIRIGA Real Estate Environmen...

• White Paper

  The Green Building Advantage Won't Last Long

  By Doug Gatlin | U.S. Green Building Council

  Sustainability is fast becoming accepted as a mainstream ideal in our society. 2007 was marked by a series of bellwether events: corporate America challenging our nation's political leadership to ta...

• White Paper

  The Road to Commercialization is Always Under Construction

  By John Spurway | Atlantic Hydrogen Inc.

  Atlantic Hydrogen Inc. (AHI) began with an idea. The company's founders saw an opportunity to develop a technology that, with the right combination of science and entrepreneurship, could make a signif...

• White Paper

  The Green Building Imperative

  By Dr. Joseph Romm | Center for Energy and Climate Solutions

  The Time is Now for Green Buildings Corporate environmental sustainability initiatives are more valuable and necessary today than ever before, thanks to five major reasons: compelling evidence of ...

• White Paper

  Testing Sustainable Ideas

  By Dustin J. Knutson | National Renewable Energy Laboratory

  Investment in renewable technology is fast becoming the preferred strategy for private sector business investors seeking tax incentives and declining payback terms for facility improvements. Global ...

• White Paper

  Sustainable Design and Construction Goes Mainstream

  By Paul Todd Merrill | Clayco

  The construction industry has a massive impact on the global environment. Luckily, it is now re-evaluating all components of the building process, including extraction of raw materials, design pract...

• White Paper

  Sustainability Begins with Balance

  By Greg Drysdale | ALTEN Energy Solutions Inc.

  The electricity grid has been called "the most significant engineering achievement of the 20th century." Power projects are completed on a scale that rival the Pyramids of Egypt and today, electrici...

• White Paper

  RE < C: Renewable Energy Cheaper Than Coal

  By Dan Reicher | Google.org

  Clean and affordable energy is a critical need for the planet - and our company - so we're excited about launching Renewable Energy Cheaper than Coal (RE<C), a strategic initiative to develop ele...

• White Paper

  Sustainable Buildings: The Next Green Wave

  By Christine McEntee | American Institute of Architects

  Sustainable principles for the design, construction, and renovation of homes and buildings are imperatives that will yield economic, health, and most importantly, environmental benefits. In terms of...

• Solution Provider

  Teknion: A Global Presence

  A Culture of Sustainability At Teknion, sustainability is not a distant goal; it's a fact of our everyday life at work. While we may not yet be perfect, we are moving forward step by step to integr...

• Case Study

  Jacuzzi Family Vineyards squeezes more out of the sun

  Jacuzzi Family Vineyards is a new winery set on 190 acres in the Carneros region of Sonoma, Calif. The beautiful 18,000-square-foot, rustic-Italian stone structure was inspired by the Jacuzzi family...

• Case Study

  What's brewing in Chico, California?

  Chico, Calif. is home to one of the finest and most eco-friendly breweries in the country. The Sierra Nevada Brewery is considered by many to be the premier craft brewery in the United States. But w...