Tag: GHG

Updated ASHRAE Building Efficiency Standard Shifts Focus to Decarbonization

By Joe Bebon, Editor Jan 18, 2024 Energy Management and Lighting

Updated: Jan 18, 2024

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has released the latest version of its energy efficiency standard for existing buildings, with an expanded focus to incorporate building decarbonization. ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 100-2024, Energy and Emissions Building Performance Standard for Existing Buildings is a code-ready building performance standard that provides processes and procedures for reducing energy consumption […]

EPA Offers $32 Million to Help Schools Boost Indoor Air Quality

By Joe Bebon, Editor Jan 12, 2024 Green Building

Updated: Jan 12, 2024

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of up to $32 million to address indoor air pollution at K-12 schools in “overburdened communities.” The announcement comes just days after the EPA awarded nearly $1 billion for zero- and low-emission school buses. This new funding opportunity is made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act and […]

Biden Admin Seeks Input on National Definition for Zero-Emissions Buildings

By Joe Bebon, Editor Jan 5, 2024 Design and Construction

Updated: Jan 5, 2024

What constitutes a zero-emissions building? The Biden administration is working to create a national, standardized, and verifiable definition for all stakeholders. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has developed Part 1 of a draft national definition for zero-emissions buildings and is now seeking feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders through […]

USGBC Officials Reveal Details of LEED Version 5 Draft

By Corey Sipe, Associate Editor Dec 5, 2023 Design and Construction

Updated: Dec 5, 2023

During a November 16 webinar, more information was released regarding the highly anticipated draft of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) version 5 Operations and Maintenance (O&M) rating system. The draft was released in September 2023 at the 2023 Greenfield Conference and Expo. While the launch of LEED […]

Back to Basics: Defining Net Zero for Facilities

By Corey Sipe, Associate Editor Nov 30, 2023 Back to Basics

Updated: Nov 30, 2023

Back to Basics is an article series that highlights important, but possibly overlooked, information facilities management professionals should know. Most facilities professionals have heard the term “net zero buildings” before but perhaps don’t know exactly what it means or why they should convert their facilities to net zero. Commercial, educational, industrial, and nonprofit facilities should […]

State and City Leaders Highlight Sustainable Facilities

By Corey Sipe, Associate Editor Nov 16, 2023 Green Building

Updated: Nov 16, 2023

The October 12 CityAge: Unleashing Clean Energy Systems digital event featured discussions on facility energy efficiency, decarbonizing buildings, and deploying clean energy infrastructure. It also highlighted sustainability projects at major facilities in New York and New Jersey, as well as Kansas City, Missouri, and Phoenix, Arizona, which can serve as examples for facilities managers to […]

Better Buildings Initiative Reaches $18.5 Billion in Energy Savings

By Joe Bebon, Editor Oct 24, 2023 Energy Management and Lighting

Updated: Oct 24, 2023

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has published the “2023 Better Buildings Initiative Progress Report,” which summarizes the achievements of the DOE’s Better Buildings public- and private-sector partners since the initiative’s inception in 2011. The report shows that partnering entities, including more than 900 businesses, state and local governments, utilities, housing authorities, and other organizations, […]

An Actionable Plan to Achieve Net Zero

By Dan Arant, Brightly Sep 19, 2023 Design and Construction

Updated: Sep 19, 2023

How do we achieve net zero? This is a key question that facilities managers and other stakeholders are increasingly being required to ask themselves. The world is evolving, and a central piece in this evolution is the shift toward net-zero carbon emissions. This is a marked shift from 10 years ago, when the focus was […]

Lowe’s Is Adding Rooftop Solar at Nearly 200 Locations

By Joe Bebon, Editor Apr 19, 2023 Sustainability/Business Continuity

Updated: Apr 19, 2023

In line with its goal to reach net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, major home improvement company Lowe’s has announced plans to have rooftop solar installations atop 174 store and distribution center locations nationwide, including 20 sites currently in operation. Once each site is completed, the solar panels will provide approximately 90% of the […]

EPA Reveals Most Energy-Efficient Manufacturing Plants of 2022

By Joe Bebon, Editor Mar 1, 2023 Energy Management and Lighting

Updated: Mar 1, 2023

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that 86 U.S. manufacturing plants earned the agency’s ENERGY STAR certification in 2022, a designation reserved for manufacturing plants in the top 25% of energy efficiency in their sector. Together, these plants saved over 105 trillion British thermal units (Btus) of energy and prevented more than 6 […]