Beat Blog
Last spring, the Energy Department (DOE) launched its Better Buildings Workforce Guidelines, a national framework that helps professional organizations develop high-quality training and certification programs for their members. The Guidelines, which provide national recognition to this work, help…
The Anteaters are king of the hill – again. Better Buildings Challenge partner University of California, Irvine (UCI) has retained the No. 1 spot in Sierra magazine’s 2015 “Cool Schools” ranking of the country’s most sustainable college campuses. UCI is the first repeat winner as the school…
1. Cummins: Jamestown Engine Plant
Cummins acquired Jamestown Engine Plant in 1974, though the facility dates back to 1968 and much of the original base infrastructure within the building remains. In 2014, the plant installed a new, 2 megawatt solar installation, capable of generating about a…
This week the Energy Department’s Better Buildings Challenge director Maria T. Vargas braved the heat and visited Kingswood Elementary in Surprise, Arizona. The school is the showcase project of K-12 partner, Dysart Unified School District (USD).This was the first K-12 school that the Better…
Recently, one of the leaders among corporate energy managers of the Energy Department's Better Plants Challenge partners, was recognized at the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) Summer Study on Industry for his leadership and accomplishments in industrial energy…
Located in the Finger Lakes Region of central New York State, the Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility (IAWWTF) has made energy efficiency and sustainability a priority since it started service in 1987. By using less energy to treat sewage for the community, IAWWTF can mitigate energy…
Grocery stores seek to deliver convenience to their customers. However, this convenience—large-scale refrigeration, open refrigerated cases, industrial cooking equipment—also causes the sector to struggle with energy management.
Better Buildings Challenge…
Last week, in Salt Lake City, Dr. Kathleen Hogan joined Mayor Becker in the presentation of the 2015 Project Skyline Mayor’s Challenge Awards.
Project Skyline is the Mayor’s cornerstone initiative to to improve air quality, boost economic development and improve livability in…
This summer, Green Retail Decisions is featuring Better Buildings partners and showcasing their leadership to help retailers across the country take the plunge in energy efficiency and learn from the successes of their peers, and even sometimes their competitors.
In case you missed…
This May, the Better Buildings Solution Center launched at the Better Buildings Summit. We've added hundreds of solutions shared by partners, and encourage you to check it out. As you browse solutions, please let us know if you have ideas or feedback so we can continue to add resources to help…
The recently concluded 2015 Better Buildings Summit, in only its second year, had a strong and growing industrial presence. The Summit attracted more than 900 participants to Washington, DC, last month to exchange best practices, highlight demonstrated market solutions, and discuss future…
This past week, members of the Volvo Group Energy Network North America working with Bremer Energy Consulting Services, Inc., conducted an Energy Treasure Hunt at the 1.5 million square foot Volvo Group Trucks engine and transmission plant in Hagerstown, MD. Based on previous success at the Volvo…
This week the Energy Department’s Better Buildings Challenge director Maria T. Vargas visited three Better Buildings Challenge showcase projects in the cities of Denver and Arvada Colorado, and had the honor of being joined by U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julian Castro.…
Amy Hargroves of Sprint, Jon Utech of Cleveland Clinic, Wendall Brase, UC Irvine, Kathy Loftus of Whole Foods and Susan Rochford of Legrand North America. At the Better Buildings Summit, a "bionic panel" took the stage to discuss how they're going "bigger, better and faster" on energy…
Tabetha McCartney, director of development, finance and sustainability for Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly chose five questions to answer during the Summit. Here are her thoughts on energy efficiency: What does sustainability mean to you? Sustainable development is concerned with…
Heidi Burkart, operations coordinator and energy manager for Camas School District in Washington state and K-12 goal achiever answered our five questions; here are her answers: What's one piece of advice you’d like to give to a new partner? Set high goals and expectations for your staff…
Today was the last official day of the Summit, there was still lots of activity in a bunch of great sessions, including: Better Buildings accelerator meetings, on energy data, industrial superior energy performance and outdoor lighting technical assistance. A packed house at the workshop on…
Here's how Walt Brockway, global manager of energy efficiency for Alcoa, tackled our five questions! What do you think the energy landscape will look like in 2020?2020 is not far away. From a supply side we will see more reliance on natural gas, less on coal, and we will begin to see a smarter…
Amy Hargroves, director of corporate responsibility and sustainability for Sprint, picked 5 questions to answer. Sprint was recently honored as a goal achievers, for reaching 36 percent energy savings through the Better Buildings Challenge. If you could invent one energy-saving solution, what…
Emily Soontornsaratool, energy data program manager with the State of Maryland, was next to answer our 5 questions. What’s the most interesting project you’ve heard of at the conference so far?I went to a great session yesterday on energy data and I’m a data geek--that’s what I do for the…