The top 10 most-viewed resources on the Better Buildings Solution Center from the past month feature three successful waste reduction efforts. Resources highlight Better Buildings partners Sprint, Shorenstein Properties, New York City Housing Authority, and IHG Hotels & Resorts and Better Plants partner Bristol Myers Squibb. This month’s list also includes toolkits for energy project financing, clean energy access in low-income communities, and more. Check them out!

1. Smart Energy Analytics Campaign Toolkit

With analytic software applied to everyday building operations, owners are using data to their advantage and realizing cost savings through improved energy management. This toolkit collects the best resources from DOE’s Smart Energy Analytics Campaign to help facility owners and managers take advantage of savings opportunities and performance improvements from energy management information systems (EMIS) and ongoing monitoring practices. Read more.

2. Clean Energy for Low-Income Communities (CELICA) Toolkit

Low-income households spend about 8% of their income on energy costs, three times more than average. Better Buildings Accelerator partners committed $335 million to help 155,000 low-income households access energy efficiency and renewable energy benefits, collecting resources and lessons learned into the CELICA Toolkit. The toolkit includes a guide to program development and replicable program models for single-family and multifamily housing, as well as community solar. Read More.

3. Sprint's Systemic Approach to Waste Management

In its efforts to divert 50% of its operational waste stream from the landfill by 2025, Better Buildings Challenge partner Sprint developed a waste management pilot program that provided its business units with customized waste diversion solutions. In addition to streamlining its approach to waste reduction across its facilities, Sprint improved the recycle rate from 23% to 46%, reduced utility spend by 25%, and yielded nearly $2 million in savings and avoided costs. Read more.

4. Green Revolving Funds Toolkit

This collection of solutions provides guidance on establishing a green revolving fund to overcome a lack of dedicated capital. A green revolving fund is an internal capital pool dedicated to funding energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainability projects that generate cost savings. A portion of those savings is then used to replenish the fund, establishing an ongoing funding vehicle to help drive energy efficiency and sustainability investment over time. Read more.

5. Shorenstein Properties: Improved Waste Diversion with Training and Audits

Shorenstein Properties, a Better Buildings Challenge partner, expanded its sustainability goals to include waste diversion and reduction, aiming to increase waste diversion 20% by 2025 over a 2016 baseline. By utilizing a combination of new policies, training, outreach, and waste audits, Shorenstein has already achieved a diversion rate over 50% and continues to improve, even with portfolio growth. Read more.

6. New York City Housing Authority: 344 East 28th Street 

To address energy challenges faced at its 344 East 28th Street multifamily apartment complex, Better Buildings Challenge partner New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) conducted an extensive lighting, heating, and hot-water modernization project. Energy-efficient upgrades made to these building systems, as well as NYCHA’s first-ever deployment of renewable technologies, resulted in 37% annual energy savings and nearly $114,000 in cost savings. Read more.

7. Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC) Toolkit

This collection of resources enables state and local communities to benefit from the experience of partners who have successfully established and implemented performance contracting. It includes best practices and innovative approaches that states, cities, and K-12 schools have used. Users can easily find the information they need at each stage of their ESPC decision-making process. Read more.

8. Bristol Myers Squibb: Applying Principles of Green Chemistry Leads to Significant Waste Reduction

To reduce process waste and improve efficiency, Better Plants partner Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) leveraged the American Chemical Society’s Principles of Green Chemistry to enhance their sustainability efforts. As a result, BMS has eliminated 14 metric tons of waste in clinical trials and achieved $57 million in cost avoidance. In addition, changes to product packaging produced a 40% reduction in transportation emissions and almost $1 million in annual savings from shipping. Read more. 

9. IHG Hotels & Resorts Green Engage™ Program

IHG Hotels and Resorts, a Better Buildings Alliance partner, created the IHG Green Engage™ system as a comprehensive online sustainability platform. It allows hotels to track, measure, and report on their carbon footprint and utility consumption. With over 200 Green Solutions, including detailed action plans, guidance, and case studies, Green Engage can help hotels avoid up to $67 million in utility costs while significantly reducing their carbon footprint. Read more. 

10. Wastewater Energy Management Toolkit

Municipal wastewater treatment systems in the U.S. consume approximately 30 billion kWh annually, and their operations are typically the largest energy users in a community. This toolkit enables water resource recovery facilities to improve their energy efficiency, providing best practices and innovative approaches successfully used by wastewater facilities to establish and implement energy management plans. It is based on the work of DOE's Better Buildings Sustainable Wastewater Infrastructure of the Future (SWIFt) Accelerator. Read more.