Tag: decarbonization

ASHRAE Guideline 36 and Advanced Tech Propel Industrial HVAC Decarbonization

American industries are facing growing pressure to modernize production methods and improve energy efficiency without compromising the bottom line. Now more than ever, it is important to drive research, development, and pilot-scale demonstrations within industrial projects, with plans to bolster confidence in the buildings space for further adoption of net-zero practices. When combined with standards […]

Carbon Data Management: Reducing Emissions for More Efficient Facilities

Carbon data management is an enterprise-wide effort, requiring the tracking of resources including energy, waste, and more. Facilities managers (FMs) play a crucial role in supporting an organization’s sustainability efforts. Working closely with carbon and sustainability teams within their organization and incorporating data-driven decarbonization strategies into day-to-day facility operations can simultaneously drive sustainability goals and operational […]

U.S. Green Building Council Finalizes New LEED v5 Certification

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has officially launched LEED v5, the latest version of its flagship LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building certification program. The USGBC released the first draft of the highly anticipated update in late 2023. In 2024, the group held two public comment periods, receiving more than 7,000 […]

IFMA Co-founds Building Lifecycle Management Initiative

The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) has teamed up with software company Autodesk to launch the Building Lifecycle Management Initiative (BLMI). With a global focus spanning North America, EMEA, Asia-Pacific, and LATAM, the new initiative is a technology-agnostic, standards-aligned endeavor that aspires to unify commercial real estate stakeholders—from owners and facilities managers (FMs) to architecture, […]

EaaS and Microgrids: A Game-Changer for Retailers Facing Rising Energy Costs

The average roof of a large retail store like Walmart spans a massive 180,000 square feet—roughly the size of three football fields. There are over 100,000 superstores in the U.S. with nearly 7.2 billion combined square feet of rooftop space, equivalent to the entire city of El Paso, Texas. According to an Environment America study, […]

Leveraging Data for ESG Success: Critical Steps Toward Net-Zero Emissions

In 2022, the Biden administration announced the first Federal Building Performance Standard, a set of steps aimed at reducing energy consumption and electrifying equipment and appliances in federal buildings by 2030. While this plan represents significant strides toward sustainability, the path to carbon neutrality remains less defined. As climate change drives devastating global risks, including […]

The Rise of Commercial Building Electrification

Demand for commercial building electrification has been growing over the past decade as organizations aim to reduce their carbon footprint and become more energy efficient. By electrifying systems such as HVAC, water heating, and cooking, building owners and organizations have been able to achieve benefits such as increased energy efficiency, reduced carbon emissions, and safer […]

EPA Awards Over $735M for Green School Buses, Other Heavy-Duty Vehicles

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that 70 applicants across 27 states, three Tribal Nations, and one territory have been tentatively selected to receive over $735 million to assist in the purchase of over 2,400 zero-emission vehicles through its first-ever Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program. The majority of the funding will go toward adopting […]

N.Y. Hospital Cuts Carbon and Costs with Energy Efficiency Upgrades

The New York Power Authority (NYPA) announced it installed a suite of energy efficiency upgrades at Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH), an academic medical center on Long Island, N.Y. Totaling nearly $20 million, the projects directly support BuildSmart 2025, a statewide energy efficiency program administered by NYPA aimed at reducing energy usage in state facilities […]

JLL Report: $1 Trillion Needed to Revitalize Office Space at Risk of Obsolescence

Of the 776 million square meters of existing office space across 66 markets globally, about half of that space, or 322-425 million square meters, is likely to require substantial investment to remain viable in the near term—an investment of approximately $933 billion-$1.2 trillion in spending. That’s according to JLL’s latest research, “Opportunity Through Obsolescence.” The […]