Beat Blog
We hope you had a great second day at the Better Buildings Summit, we’ve heard so many great anecdotes of people making connections and learning from our sessions. Here’s a rundown of the day’s events, just in case you missed anything:We opened the day with a keynote from Lynn Orr, undersecretary…
We had a very busy and productive first day of the Better Buildings Summit! Here are some highlights from the day, in case you couldn’t get to everything. Don’t forget to see late-breaking Summit activity on Twitter, just follow the hashtag #BBSummit2015. Join the community of over 300,000 people…
We sat down with Paul Wessel, executive director of the Green Parking Council, a nonprofit that helps parking facilities adopt environmental, technological and economic sustainability, to foster the industry’s growth into a positive force in the built environment. He took some time to answer five…
Yesterday was great, but today will be even better! There are so many great sessions happening today, plus these great speakers:Dr. David Danielson, U.S. Department of Energy, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy announces 2014 results and recognizes Better Buildings…
We’re finally here! This is the first live post from the live reporting at the Better Buildings Summit. We're so glad you've been able to join us. Today you’ll be greeted by:Dr. Kathleen Hogan, U.S. Department of Energy, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency welcomes all attendees…
The annual Better Buildings Summit coming up next week, May 27-29, is a great opportunity to step away from our routines and reconnect with the hundreds of partners and allies working together on Better Buildings. The Summit’s sessions will focus on specific sectors and cross-cutting strategies:…
Better Buildings Challenge Multifamily housing partner Corcoran Management Company recently made waves for adding two new ENERGY STAR certified buildings to its portfolio. Fifty West Broadway in South Boston, and the McNamara Building in Allston, Mass.—one of the first affordable housing projects…
On Monday the Staples team hosted us at a fantastic energy event: An Eco-Treasure Hunt at their 1 million square foot Hagerstown, MD distribution center. The Eco-Treasure Hunt is a proven, effective model for discovering energy efficiency opportunities at an individual facility, while building much…
Havertys Better Buildings Challenge showcase project is a Virginia Beach showroom, originally built in September 1995. The showroom was in desperate need of an energy retrofit – but without compromising the integrity of the showroom. Following LED lighting retrofits, Havertys has found that HVAC…
After the city added lighting and controls retrofits, solar window film to reduce solar heat gain from daylighting, central plant upgrades, and implementation of a facility-wide energy management system, the El Paso International Airport has seen annual energy savings of 19 percent. Annual cost…
Last week the Energy Department traveled to Texas to applaud Better Buildings Challenge partners who have committed their public sector, retail or multifamily housing to 20% energy savings in 10 years. Here’s a rundown of our Texas showcase project tours.Tuesday, April 14Our Texas tour started in…
In partnership with the National Institute of Building Sciences, DOE has released national voluntary workforce guidelines.
Developed with feedback from industry experts, these guidelines provide a national framework for certification agencies across the country to roll out quality, consistent…
This morning the Energy Department’s Under Secretary for Science and Energy, Lynn Orr, visited the John G. Shedd Aquarium, a Better Buildings Challenge showcase project for the City of Chicago. If you’re ever lucky enough to visit the Shedd Aquarium, here’s one more thing to admire in addition…
Houston’s Pennzoil Place has been making an impression on the city’s skyline for decades, with its iconic skyscrapers’ trapezoidal silhouettes. Less known is that the two-tower building has been undergoing infrastructure upgrades in recent years. Thanks to Better Buildings Challenge partner and…
Welcome! We’re excited to introduce the Better Buildings Beat, an in-depth look at the organizations partnering with DOE through the Better Buildings Initiative.We’ll share our partner’s amazing achievements and best practices being deployed in their facilities to lower energy use,…
If you’ve ever worked in a commercial kitchen or fast-food restaurant then you know all about the equipment inside: the fryers, ovens, dishwashers, heating lamps, fans, and walk-in freezers. They’re necessary to making delicious food – but did you know how much energy they sap?Food service…