For decades, building owners have pursued energy efficiency in “bite-sized” pieces. A boiler must be replaced, for example, and the owner may calculate that the energy savings of a high-efficiency unit will more than offset the higher price tag. Often, this “one piece at a time” thinking is reinforced through utility rebate programs or government tax incentives aimed at...
The term “green building” has been transformed in recent years from a qualitative ideal and marketing vehicle to a quantifiable and defensible statement about sustainability. Key to this transformation has been the development of transparent and trusted rating and certification systems for green buildings. BREEAM (established in the UK in 1990), LEED (established in the U.S. in 1998),
Energy policies to improve building efficiency often favor voluntary, incentive-based approaches over mandates. Tax credits, financial rebates, loan guarantees and other mechanisms all serve as carrots dangled in front of decision-makers to encourage steps in the direction of greater efficiency. One notable exception occurs at the beginning of a building’s or a product’s life cycle.
Everyone knows that “green building” is not about the color of the paint, but no single definition exists to define exactly what makes a building green. Rather, there are multiple elements to consider, and ongoing debate about which should be given the most weight. There are, however, common themes to almost all definitions of green buildings, all of which relate to the...
For many property owners, owning clean energy equipment doesn’t matter. Obtaining clean energy from the equipment does. So long as the owner gets to soak up the energy from the solar system on the roof, or realize reduced operating costs from a highly efficient chilled water plant, it does not matter that the equipment belongs to someone else. A variety of third party ownership structures...
While solar panels currently generate a small percentage of the electricity used globally, a growing number of organizations are turning to the sun to power their facilities by installing an on-site solar photovoltaic system. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), global photovoltaic (PV) market growth has averaged 25 percent annually over the last 10 years, with worldwide...
Clean energy is key to environmental sustainability. Reliable, affordable energy is fundamental to economic development. While dense megacities continue to emerge as the dominant population centers of the 21st century, over two billion of the world’s people still lack access to basic energy services. Affordable energy infrastructure and technology, coupled with the development of a...
Building efficiency is key to cutting energy consumption. In 2007, 878 million metric tonnes of greenhouse gases were attributed to commercial buildings worldwide.1 Buildings account for 16 percent of world energy consumption2, with a higher share in developed economies (nearly 40 percent of total energy use in the United States)3. While roughly two percent of commercial floorspace is newly...
Access to basic energy services is a fundamental requirement for sustainable economic and social development. The link between energy and human development is well known and emphasized by the UN Millennium Development Goals1. Energy services are critical for healthcare, sanitation, education, mobility, enterprise, and all of the elements that developing nations need to raise the standard of living...
As with all business decisions, the “build or not to build” decision depends on a cost-benefit analysis: a particular construction project or installation is executed if it is expected to generate monetary value that exceeds the price. If, on the other hand, perceived costs outweigh benefits, the project is shelved. The same basic rule applies to construction of green buildings.
Global climate change has taken center stage as an environmental concern. To address it, policymakers around the world are designing and implementing policies to reduce energy use and lower annual carbon dioxide emissions, capture and burn methane gas, and change refrigeration technologies. Buildings consume a significant amount of electricity, and in most parts of the world require air...
In 2010 during the lead up to the Copenhagen Conference of the Parties under the UNFCCC, major developing country economies advanced energy policy initiatives designed to meet national commitments to reduce their energy intensity. In essence the largest emerging economies agreed to slow the rate of growth of carbon emissions per unit of economic activity. A summary of these pledges can be found at...
In the past, energy efficiency and on-site renewable energy programs have often advanced along separate pathways. However, a 2007 study conducted by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) and the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) concludes that investments in both energy efficiency and renewable energy are essential to creating a secure energy future for the U.S.
Al igual que con todas las decisiones comerciales, la decisión de “construir o no construir” depende de un análisis de la relación coste-beneficio: un proyecto de construcción o una instalación particular se ejecuta si se espera que genere un valor monetario superior a su precio. Si, por el contrario, los costes percibidos superan los beneficios, el proyecto se abandona.
We all know that the term "green building" does not refer to plants that decorate it , but there is no single definition to explain exactly what makes a building is environmentally friendly. Instead, they should be considered multiple elements, although currently being debated what are the most important.
For many building owners, the challenge is not just to dial down energy use in a single building, but to improve efficiency across an array of buildings.
Reduced to its essentials, carbon management is about setting a goal to reduce emissions and then working to attain it. Once an organization has completed a greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory, it can establish a carbon emissions reduction target. Setting a that target based on an accurate and thorough inventory of GHG emissions communicates a company’s commitment to managing its footprint.
Establishing a carbon management plan depends first on getting an accurate read on the extent of an organization’s emissions. This is not as simple as reading the meter on energy use, however, as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions emanate from many different aspects of doing business.