Sustainability


  • An HVAC technician is seen at work on a ventilation system.
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    ronstik via Getty Images
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    Building owners must implement retrofit, reuse strategies quickly to tackle obsolescence risks: JLL

    With about $1.2 trillion needed globally to retrofit older office assets, building owners must address building age, design, regulatory pressure and locational factors to mitigate these risks, a report says.

    By Nov. 22, 2024
  • A sign reads "Wells Fargo" outside of a Wells bank branch.
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    Michael M. Santiago / Staff via Getty Images
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    Wells Fargo’s latest innovation cohort to focus on building decarbonization

    Three startups were each awarded $250,000 to help tackle energy management and emission reduction efforts in buildings.

    By Lamar Johnson • Nov. 22, 2024
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    shironosov via Getty Images
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    Trendline

    Top 5 stories from Facilities Dive

    Top 5 stories from Facilities Dive

    By Facilities Dive staff
  • Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright speaking for a LinkedIn video
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    Retrieved from LinkedIn on November 21, 2024
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    What Trump’s energy picks could mean for commercial building sustainability

    The nominations point to potential impacts on federal support for renewable energy, energy efficiency and other building decarbonization efforts.

    By Nov. 21, 2024
  • Engineers in helmets install a solar panel system on a roof.
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    anatoliy_gleb via Getty Images
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    IRS finalizes direct pay rules, increasing access to IRA’s clean energy tax credits

    Under the rules released Tuesday, direct-pay-eligible entities like local governments, public school districts, churches and hospitals can invest in clean energy projects more easily. 

    By Diana DiGangi • Nov. 21, 2024
  • Paired Power's EV charging stations in a Santa Clara University parking lot.
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    Courtesy of Paired Power
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    Solar, batteries to power electric fleet charging at Santa Clara University

    The chargers will support the facilities department's more than 30 electric vehicles used for landscaping, recycling and custodial activities.

    By Brian Martucci • Nov. 21, 2024
  • Aerial shot of roads running through a dense urban area on the waterfront
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    Jacob Boomsma via Getty Images
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    Thermal energy networks can decarbonize neighborhoods. Meet the US cities giving them a shot.

    With federal dollars, cities want to leverage heat from waste sources and the ground to move buildings away from burning fossil fuels on-site.

    By Brian Martucci • Nov. 20, 2024
  • A 3D rending that shows the corridor of a data center server room.
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    Daniel Meglas via Getty Images
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    Data center stakeholders must collaborate to meet clean energy targets: Deloitte

    With generative AI driving energy consumption, key players must work together to assess cooling needs and identify heat and wastewater solutions, according to the consulting firm’s report.

    By Nov. 20, 2024
  • An electrical services contractor is seen working on an electrical power generator to repair an air conditioner.
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    Jacob Wackerhausen via Getty Images
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    Trane-Autodesk partnership, C.Scale launch spotlight emissions reduction software

    Integrating Trane's TRACE software with Autodesk Revit will help engineers and operators optimize HVAC systems, while C.Scale can streamline carbon emission estimates across building lifecycles, the companies said.

    By Nov. 18, 2024
  • Bottles of Clorox bleach on a shelf.
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    Justin Sullivan/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Clorox prioritizes supplier decarbonization efforts

    The cleaning product manufacturer is partnering with carbon tracking service Manufacture 2030 to gain visibility into its vendors’ emission reduction plans.

    By Kelly Stroh • Nov. 15, 2024
  • A cityscape with sustainable buildings that include solar panels, wind turbines and green roofs
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    Eoneren via Getty Images
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    USGBC tool aims to bridge sustainability targets, outcomes across building portfolios

    The digital platform is intended to help organizations meet reporting requirements and sustainability goals related to emissions, energy, water and waste, the U.S. Green Building Council said.

    By Nov. 15, 2024
  • The Como Park Conservatory in St Paul, Minn.
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    Magnus Manske. (2006). "Como Park Zoo and Conservatory-2006" [Photograph]. Retrieved from Wikimedia Commons.
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    Automation, efficiency upgrades at Minnesota zoo could save up to $1.8M over 3 years

    Groundwater-based geothermal heat pumps and building automation systems are among the changes at St. Paul's Como Park Zoo, which a city official said accounts for about 25% of total energy use among city properties.

    By Brian Martucci • Nov. 15, 2024
  • A facade of a sustainable glass office building with a tree for reducing carbon dioxide.
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    Fahroni via Getty Images
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    Better data, green financing, government support needed to decarbonize CRE worldwide: JLL

    “The current mismatch between available funds and effective allocation is considerably slowing down real estate's efforts to decarbonize,” JLL’s senior director of global sustainability and climate leadership says in a report.

    By Nov. 13, 2024
  • Solar panels are seen over 42nd Street in midtown Manhattan
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    Lisa-Blue via Getty Images
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    Demand response programs can help boost reliability, cut emissions in New York, advocates say

    Statewide legislative changes and greater incentives could boost buildings’ participation in demand response programs, according to energy policy experts. 

    By Nov. 12, 2024
  • President-elect Donald Trump giving the thumbs-up against a background of U.S. flags.
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    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
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    What Trump’s energy plans could mean for commercial building operators

    Building operators using Inflation Reduction Act tax incentives “will be talking with their senators and representatives to express the need to keep these in place,” a U.S. Green Building Council official said.

    By Nov. 11, 2024
  • As part of a maintenance check, a service engineer inspects the solar cell on a building roof for a damaged part.
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    NewSaetiew via Getty Images
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    DOE earmarks nearly $150M for 67 clean tech projects at federal facilities

    The AFFECT program grants will save a combined $41.7 million in energy and water costs annually while eliminating over 80,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent each year, the Energy Department said.

    By Brian Martucci • Nov. 8, 2024
  • President Donald Trump takes the stage during a campaign rally at the J.S. Dorton Arena on November 04, 2024 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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    Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Trump win is ‘setback’ for climate protection, but clean energy advocates say progress will continue

    “There is no denying that another Trump presidency will stall national efforts to tackle the climate crisis,” but most U.S. state, local, and private sector leaders are committed to charging ahead, a clean energy advocate said.

    By Robert Walton • Nov. 7, 2024
  • People in a bar watch a TV screen with former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harrris debating.
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    Alex Wong via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    Election 2024: Harris, Trump present ‘diametrically opposed’ views on ESG

    A Harris administration would support proposed SEC climate disclosure rules for corporations, while “Trump would roll back the rules,” according to Morningstar Indexes’ head of ESG strategy.

    By Lamar Johnson , Zoya Mirza • Nov. 5, 2024
  • Engineer in blue suit and protective helmet installing photovoltaic panel system.
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    Eloi_Omella via Getty Images
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    ENGIE strikes deal with Meta to supply 260 MW of solar

    The project will supply power to a Meta data center in Temple, Texas. The power purchase agreement adds to "more than 12 GW of renewable energy procurement already announced by Meta," ENGIE said.

    By Diana DiGangi • Nov. 1, 2024
  • A photo illustration of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump shoulder to shoulder facing away from each other. The background is a purple wave with a grid gradient.
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    Photo illustration: Industry Dive; Joe Readle/Getty Images; Brandon Bell/Getty Images

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    How the U.S. presidential candidates’ climate policy differences could impact building operators: report

    Clean energy programs will likely expand under a Harris presidency, while a Trump win could mean deregulation, according to Climate X. Operators can future-proof their assets regardless of who wins, its CEO said.

    By Nov. 1, 2024
  • An air conditioning unit in a modern office, with a plant blurry in the foreground.
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    Kira-Yan via Getty Images
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    Air quality, energy efficiency can coexist, but require intentional decision-making

    To reap the benefits of IAQ and energy efficiency measures, operators must focus on design, planning and verification of building systems, experts say. 

    By Oct. 30, 2024
  • Puget Sound Energy's Encogen Generating Station located next to the Bellingham District Energy Utility
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    Retrieved from Corix on October 30, 2024
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    Corix district energy system launches in Bellingham, Washington, waterfront neighborhood

    The system, which captures waste heat for districtwide heating and cooling, is expected to help the district meet Washington state energy code requirements, the Port of Bellingham says. 

    By Oct. 30, 2024
  • The hallway of a school leads to a stairwell and windows.
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    TW Farlow via Getty Images
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    DOE school program helps districts decarbonize, identify best practices

    Benchmarking and retrofit implementation are among the categories in which school districts can apply for recognition as part of the Efficient and Healthy Schools program, the Energy Department says.

    By Oct. 28, 2024
  • Heat pump compressors installed on the rooftop of a large commercial building
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    coffeekai via Getty Images
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    Commercial heat pumps will benefit from tech developed for cold climate challenge, manufacturers say

    After successful residential trials, heat pump technologies for temperatures as low as minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit are being optimized for use in commercial buildings, executives at Carrier and Lennox said.

    By Oct. 25, 2024
  • Mainspring Linear Generator
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    Courtesy of ABM Industries Incorporated
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    ABM to integrate Mainspring Energy’s power generation tool to strengthen EV charging solutions

    Mainspring Energy’s Linear Generator can be quickly deployed at scale and would appeal to large fleet operators seeking cost-effective and sustainable EV charging infrastructure, ABM says.

    By Oct. 24, 2024
  • A person wearing a white hard hat and yellow-green safety vest points a tablet at an under-construction ceiling. The software in the tablet adds
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    sorn340 via Getty Images
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    AI can optimize most sustainable asset retrofit tasks: JLL

    Currently available artificial intelligence technology can add the most value in portfolio prioritization, energy auditing and modeling, construction management and stakeholder data sharing, the firm says.

    By Oct. 23, 2024