http://www.environmentalleader.com Environmental Leader Fri, 25 May 2012 17:41:13 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/25/daikin-mcquay-commercial-ac-first-to-meet-doe-efficiency-challenge/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/25/daikin-mcquay-commercial-ac-first-to-meet-doe-efficiency-challenge/#comments Fri, 25 May 2012 06:21:37 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=77423 Daikin McQuay is the first manufacturer to meet the US Energy Department’s rooftop unit challenge, an initiative announced in January 2011 that aims to encourage companies to develop the next generation of cost-effective, high performance commercial air conditioners. The Daikin Rebel is expected to reduce energy use by as much as 50 percent to 60 [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/25/daikin-mcquay-commercial-ac-first-to-meet-doe-efficiency-challenge/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/23/accor-launches-carbon-footprint-calculator-for-events/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/23/accor-launches-carbon-footprint-calculator-for-events/#comments Wed, 23 May 2012 14:22:13 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=77188 Accor, the European hotel group that owns the Sofitel and Adagio brands, has launched an interactive tool designed to help seminar organizers determine the carbon footprint of an upcoming event. Accor, which operates meeting and seminar venues in about 2,000 hotels, yesterday unveiled its “carbon optimizer” tool at the IMEX Frankfurt trade show. The carbon optimizer [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/23/accor-launches-carbon-footprint-calculator-for-events/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/23/winning-app-helps-commercial-buildings-get-energy-star-benchmark/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/23/winning-app-helps-commercial-buildings-get-energy-star-benchmark/#comments Wed, 23 May 2012 06:14:44 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=77224 Melon, an app that simplifies the process of getting an Energy Star benchmark for a commercial building, was one of the big winners in the US government’s Energy for Apps competition. The Melon app delivers an Energy Star score and suggest next steps to improve efficiency and reduce waste, once a building manager supplies basic [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/23/winning-app-helps-commercial-buildings-get-energy-star-benchmark/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/22/nine-out-of-ten-businesses-have-energy-goals-deloitte-says/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/22/nine-out-of-ten-businesses-have-energy-goals-deloitte-says/#comments Tue, 22 May 2012 07:40:59 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=77072 Businesses are driving efforts to cut energy consumption even as the economy recovers, and plan to cut energy use nearly 25 percent over three to four years, according to a survey from the Deloitte Center for Energy Solutions. The annual survey, reSources 2012, found nine out of 10 companies have set goals on electricity use [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/22/nine-out-of-ten-businesses-have-energy-goals-deloitte-says/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/21/top-environmental-services-firms-named/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/21/top-environmental-services-firms-named/#comments Mon, 21 May 2012 16:43:29 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=76985 AECOM, AMEC, Arcadis, CH2M Hill, ERM, SAIC and URS lead the US market for environmental services, according to a report from Verdantix. Green Quadrant Environmental Services Providers said the seven companies stood out in a field of 20 environmental services firms assessed in the study because of their national reach; ability to provide end-to-end project [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/21/top-environmental-services-firms-named/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/17/international-paper-expects-to-meet-12-sustainability-goals-by-2020/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/17/international-paper-expects-to-meet-12-sustainability-goals-by-2020/#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 12:30:16 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=76748 International Paper has outlined 12 voluntary sustainability goals that it expects to meet by the end of the decade, including a 15 percent efficiency improvement in its purchased energy use. The Memphis, Tenn.-based company detailed the goals in its 2011 Sustainability Report. These goals aim to reduce emissions as well as cut water consumption, improve the supply chain [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/17/international-paper-expects-to-meet-12-sustainability-goals-by-2020/feed/ 1 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/16/hilton-bsr-launch-sustainable-procurement-center/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/16/hilton-bsr-launch-sustainable-procurement-center/#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 07:15:54 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=76663 Hilton Worldwide and sustainability consultants BSR have launched a three-year initiative to help procurement professionals make more informed purchasing decisions based on the best available sustainability data and information. The Center for Sustainable Procurement, or CSP, will publish research and work with companies to integrate sustainability data into the procurement process at the product category [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/16/hilton-bsr-launch-sustainable-procurement-center/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/15/telecom-industry-to-shift-more-capital-to-energy-efficiency/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/15/telecom-industry-to-shift-more-capital-to-energy-efficiency/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 14:30:38 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=76523 The telecom service industry will invest more than 61 percent of its capital expenditures into sustainable infrastructure by 2016, representing a $194 billion market, according to a Pike Research report. The forecast investment, 65 percent of which will go into mobile networks, has been driven by commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions, the falling cost [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/15/telecom-industry-to-shift-more-capital-to-energy-efficiency/feed/ 2 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/15/gm-aims-for-third-leed-with-water-recycling-solar-composting/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/15/gm-aims-for-third-leed-with-water-recycling-solar-composting/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 06:19:15 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=76572 General Motors is building an engine plant in southern Brazil equipped with numerous sustainable features including solar energy and water recycling systems, which the company expects will secure the building LEED certification. If successful, the facility would join GM’s Lansing Delta Township assembly plant in Michigan and its China headquarters in Shanghai in earning this [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/15/gm-aims-for-third-leed-with-water-recycling-solar-composting/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/14/walmart-cuts-outdoor-water-use-with-weathertrak-devices-three-products-launched/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/14/walmart-cuts-outdoor-water-use-with-weathertrak-devices-three-products-launched/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 06:20:31 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=76453 Walmart stores equipped with WeatherTRAK smart irrigation controllers have reduced outdoor water use an average of 39 percent since they were installed in 2008, the companies have announced. HydroPoint Data Systems supplied 631 of its WeatherTRAK controllers at select Walmart stores. The systems, which are designed to eliminate landscape water waste, harmful run-off and costly [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/14/walmart-cuts-outdoor-water-use-with-weathertrak-devices-three-products-launched/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/07/marriott-ranked-least-efficient-as-budget-hotels-show-the-way/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/07/marriott-ranked-least-efficient-as-budget-hotels-show-the-way/#comments Mon, 07 May 2012 14:20:49 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=75855 A sustainability study of 46,000 US hotels by tech company Brighter Planet found budget hotels had greater energy efficiency than more expensive establishments, with upscale chain Marriott ranking 75th out of 75 chains. The study also discovered that newer hotels are less efficient, use more energy and use dirtier energy sources than their older counterparts. [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/07/marriott-ranked-least-efficient-as-budget-hotels-show-the-way/feed/ 10 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/07/sustainability-vs-roi-how-to-successfully-achieve-both/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/07/sustainability-vs-roi-how-to-successfully-achieve-both/#comments Mon, 07 May 2012 07:20:16 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=75896 With the global population growing at a rate of 200,000 people a day, according to the World Bank Institute (WBI), there is an arduous strain on the world’s resources, especially food, energy and materials. This increase in demand and resulting decrease in supply warrants a closer focus on sustainability efforts to renew the supplies being [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/07/sustainability-vs-roi-how-to-successfully-achieve-both/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/03/lime-energy-central-hudson-contract-to-provide-5000-commercial-lighting-retrofits/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/03/lime-energy-central-hudson-contract-to-provide-5000-commercial-lighting-retrofits/#comments Thu, 03 May 2012 14:20:49 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=75663 Central Hudson Gas & Electric is implementing a commercial lighting program, under a four-year contract with Lime Energy Co., that aims to complete 5,000 energy efficiency projects. The program will serve small and medium-sized commercial customers that have peak energy demands under 350 kilowatts, and will help offset energy efficiency improvement costs by up to [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/03/lime-energy-central-hudson-contract-to-provide-5000-commercial-lighting-retrofits/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/03/pike-research-building-info-modeling-market-will-reach-1-8bn-this-year/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/03/pike-research-building-info-modeling-market-will-reach-1-8bn-this-year/#comments Thu, 03 May 2012 14:19:15 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=75690 The market for building information modeling software and services is still fledgling, but it’s evolving rapidly as the architecture, engineering and construction industry realizes its tools and processes are inefficient compared to those of other global industries such as manufacturing, according to a recent analysis from Pike Research. Pike Research projects that the global market [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/03/pike-research-building-info-modeling-market-will-reach-1-8bn-this-year/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/01/cox-saves-17400-tons-of-carbon-over-five-years/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/01/cox-saves-17400-tons-of-carbon-over-five-years/#comments Tue, 01 May 2012 14:15:40 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=75437 Cox Enterprises has saved 17,400 tons of carbon through alternative energy projects since 2007 and conserves 20 million gallons of water annually, according to data the company released on the fifth anniversary of its national sustainability program. The communications, media and automotive services company has implemented energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, green energy sources, hybrid [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/05/01/cox-saves-17400-tons-of-carbon-over-five-years/feed/ 0