Facility Management | GreenerBuildings.com

New England Frito-Lay Plant Goes 'Off the Grid'

GreenerBuildings Staff — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:05:00 -0700

A Frito-Lay factory in Connecticut now generates its own electricity with a combined heat and power system that enables the 75-acre site to ease the demand on the country's Northeast power grid.

Climate Corps: How to Harvest Savings by Greening Leases

Hunt Briggs — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Green leasing is becoming more popular in real estate these days as building owners and tenants find themselves codependent when it comes to reducing consumption.

Toolkit Helps Commercial Tenants Green from the Inside Out

GreenerBuildings Staff — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:48:00 -0700

Version 2.0 of the California Sustainability Alliance's Green Leases Toolkit was released yesterday, providing help to tenants and landlords of commercial real estate overcome obstacles to greening their office space.

Defying the Downturn: How to Achieve Success Through Sustainability

Mateo Bueno and Elise Richards — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 06:06:00 -0700

Some companies have put sustainability programs on the chopping block during the recession, but a few influential organizations, including GE and Waste Management, are expanding their sustainability initiatives. They're focusing on how green will grow their business and enhance their corporate culture.

Three Major U.S. Hotel Companies Green Their Headquarters

Glenn Hasek — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 01:06:00 -0700

Three of the largest U.S.-based hotel companies -- Hilton Hotels Corp., Wyndham Worldwide and Marriott International -- are now walking their green talk at their headquarters by making their home offices more eco-friendly.

Dell to Reap $5.8M in Energy Savings at Facilities Worldwide

GreenerBuildings Staff — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:04:00 -0700

Dell expects to rake in an estimated $5.8 million in annual savings as a result of energy efficiency measures that range from PC power-downs and simplifying IT to retrofitting facilities and setting green building standards for all new company-owned sites.

U.S. Navy Signs On Johnson Controls to Retrofit Base in Guam

GreenerBuildings Staff — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:38:00 -0700

The U.S Navy has enlisted Johnson Controls Inc. in a $34.1 million energy efficiency and conservation project at the naval base in Guam.

Temperature Wars: The Struggle Between Energy Savings and Employee Comfort

GreenerBuildings Staff — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 10:34:00 -0700

Some the biggest headaches for facility managers occur when the drive for energy savings bumps up against what building occupants consider are uncomfortable temperatures -- even when heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems are working properly, according to a new report from the International Facility Management Association.

FedEx Plans Nation's Largest Rooftop Solar Array

GreenerBuildings Staff — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:16:00 -0700

FedEx Ground, the FedEx unit that ships small packages, plans to begin work next month on what the firm is billing as the largest rooftop solar power installation in the country.

Jones Lang LaSalle Boasts 544 LEED APs

GreenerBuildings Staff — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:30:00 -0700

More than 500 Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) employees now hold LEED accreditation or its equivalent designation, allowing the real estate services firm to meet a goal it set in 2008 six months ahead of schedule.

More Green Building and Energy Efficiency Could Save U.S. Economy $1.2 Trillion

GreenerBuildings Staff — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:59:00 -0700

The typical building in the U.S. leaks energy like a sieve and its occupants usually make the situation worse. But businesses and individuals could stanch the flow by making simple changes that could yield a 23 percent drop in energy use by 2020, save the U.S. economy $1.2 trillion and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1.1 gigatons annually, according to a new study.

How the Cap-and-Trade Bill Could Transform the Real Estate Sector

Leanne Tobias — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 01:30:00 -0700

A heads up for real estate professionals: H.R. 2454, the cap and trade legislation approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on June 26, if passed into law, would have a profound effect on the real estate sector.

Siemens and Viridity Energy Partner on Smart Grid Solution

GreenerBuildings Staff — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 09:00:00 -0700

Siemens Energy and Viridity Energy have formed a strategic partnership that will combine Siemens' decentralized energy management system, known as DEMS, with the startup's VPower system to enable customers to better manage their power loads, power generation and participation in demand response programs — and ultimately sell excess energy to the public grid.

Climate Corps: The Advantages of Building in Energy Controls

Hunt Briggs — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:30:00 -0700

Building owners and operators are taking energy management more seriously, and many tools exist to simplify the task. So why hasn't the broader real estate industry been more aggressive in taking advantage of these opportunities for savings.

Breaking Down the Tower of Babel

Rob Watson — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 17:10:00 -0700

Buildings give us a torrent of information, most of it either ignored or misunderstood. As buildings evolve from mere passive consumers of energy to active consumers engaged in demand response or time-of-use programs and even to being distributed energy generators, the complexity of managing these various elements can seem overwhelming.