Extreme weather events, exacerbated by rising temperatures, as well as mounting efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have underscored the urgency of the climate challenge and the vital need for energy efficiency. We know that efficiency can halve emissions by… Read More »Scaling Cost-Effective Energy Efficiency
You are likely already paying for them, and you have been doing so for years. Do I have your attention yet? Take a look at your monthly utility bill and you will likely find something called a Systems Benefit Charge… Read More »Energy Incentives are a No-Brainer
When my kids were younger, the question “why” was both never-ending and very important. It was important as it helped my kids learn and it fueled their ever-inquisitive minds. As we get older, we tend to ask why less and… Read More »Why is Data important?
Savings (noun) is defined as “an economy of or reduction in money, time, or another resource”. Waste (noun) is defined as ”an act or instance of using or expending something carelessly, extravagantly, or to no purpose”. While most people love… Read More »Savings or Waste – Which is More Compelling?
Building owners all recognize that costs have increased for everything – energy, consumables, contractors. Sure, building owners can pass many of these costs on to tenants but are there proactive steps building owners, their tenants, and their contractors can take… Read More »How to Offset the Increasing Cost of Everything
Buildings constantly change. Building owners need to constantly adapt to changing building conditions. That also means making decisions. Historically, calculating the return on investment (ROI) of a decision – e.g., maintenance, repair, capital improvement – is what has driven many… Read More »The High Cost of Doing Nothing
In 2018, office building owners spent an average of $2.14 on energy consumption per square foot in commercial buildings. It is estimated that about one-third of total non-fixed operating expenses go toward energy use in commercial buildings, and this is rising (see the EIA chart below). Plus commercial buildings contribute to nearly 20 percent of the nation’s greenhouse… Read More »Energy Cost Containment
The drop in the cost of “green” energy over the past fifteen years has been phenomenal. Solar power generation today costs 10% of what it did in 2009. Wind power costs less than 30%. Under certain circumstances, solar and wind… Read More »The Lowest Cost Energy Source
If a tenant hires a contractor to make improvements to a property, but the tenant doesn’t pay the contractor in full, can the contractor sue the landlord for the difference? It sounds unlikely, but it happened in one case recently.… Read More »Tenant Improvements – A Cautionary Tale
Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) is an innovative financing tool that helps commercial building owners fund energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. It offers long-term, fixed-rate financing, covering up to 100% of project costs that are a permanent part of… Read More »Low-Cost Financing for “Green” Projects