Sustainable Facilities

Sustainable facilities focuses on efforts to make facilities such as office buildings, warehouses, and hospitals more sustainable. More sustainable buildings reduce the environmental impacts of energy, water, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste. Articles include discussion of LEED certification, energy efficiency, recycling, the greening of buildings and reduction of carbon footprints.

EL Pro Standards & Compliance Briefing: ISO 14001, e-Stewards, R2, LEED

Standards & Compliance Briefing: ISO 14001, e-Stewards, R2, LEEDU.K.-based sustainable roofing provider International Construction Bureau (ICB) has earned the accreditations ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001, adding to ICB's ISO 9001, and all three ...

February 2, 2012

EL Pro Standards & Compliance Briefing: Rainforest Alliance, LEED Certifications, WEEE

Standards & Compliance Briefing: Rainforest Alliance, LEED Certifications, WEEE Hershey's says that later this year, U.S. consumers will be able to purchase Hershey's Bliss products with 100 percent cocoa from Rainforest Alliance-certified farms. The ...

January 31, 2012

Poll: Financial Short-Termism Hitting Sustainability Drive

Poll: Financial Short-Termism Hitting Sustainability DriveFinancial short-termism presents a critical barrier to businesses' transition to sustainability, according to a U.N.-backed poll by consultancies GlobeScan and SustainAbility. The latest edition of ...

January 30, 2012

EL Pro Standards & Compliance Briefing: IgCC Guide, Builders Challenge, SITES, ZHome, Responsible Jewellery Council

Standards & Compliance Briefing: IgCC Guide, Builders Challenge, SITES, ZHome, Responsible Jewellery CouncilThe International Code Council and Delmar have released a support publication for the construction industry referencing the 2012 International Green Construction Code (IgCC). The ...

January 26, 2012

UT Employees Kick the Can

UT Employees Kick the Can The University of Texas is testing a program to reduce waste ...

January 20, 2012

Maintenance is Key to Lowering Energy Costs

Maintenance is Key to Lowering Energy CostsAs green thinking and sustainability come to the forefront of business practices, well-run maintenance department with a focus on energy efficiency are becoming ...

January 17, 2012

EL Pro Standards & Compliance Briefing: BPI Compostable Logo, 2012 IgCC, WEEE, LEED, ISO 50001

Standards & Compliance Briefing: BPI Compostable Logo, 2012 IgCC, WEEE, LEED, ISO 50001The Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) "Compostable Logo" effort will now be administered by NSF International. The NSF will verify claims of compostability in large-scale composting facilities, ...

January 12, 2012

EL Pro Standards & Compliance Briefing: Rainforest Alliance, LEED, Clean Truck Program, Green Mill Index

Standards & Compliance Briefing: Rainforest Alliance, LEED, Clean Truck Program, Green Mill IndexCaribou Coffee coffees and espresso are now all sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms, and it is the first major U.S. coffeehouse to meet this ...

January 5, 2012

Green Mountain Uses Coffee to Brew Up Energy

Green Mountain Uses Coffee to Brew Up EnergyGreen Mountain Coffee Roasters - the firm behind the Keurig brand single-serving coffee brewers - is working with University of North Dakota researchers and bioenergy ...

December 30, 2011

Sustainability at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

Sustainability at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens Richard Piacentini, executive director of Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens discusses sustainability and intelligent building.

December 23, 2011

Stimulus Funding for Georgia Convenience Stores Lighting Retrofit Project

Stimulus Funding for Georgia Convenience Stores Lighting Retrofit ProjectThe Georgia Association of Convenience Stores (GACS) lighting retrofit fund has retrofitted more than 30 convenience store locations across the state. The group is one ...

December 23, 2011

EL Pro Standards & Compliance Briefing: ISO 50001, ISO 14001, Mexican Sustainability Index, LEED, FSC

Standards & Compliance Briefing: ISO 50001, ISO 14001, Mexican Sustainability Index, LEED, FSCBureau Veritas has issued the world's first ISO 50001 certification for a shipping company. This was awarded to Stena’s ship management division, Northern Marine Management, ...

December 22, 2011

EL Pro Cooling Tower Cuts Michelin Energy Use by 1,500 MWh

Cooling Tower Cuts Michelin Energy Use by 1,500 MWhA Michelin plant has reduced its energy consumption by about 1,500 MWh through installation of a new cooling tower for process water. The installation at the ...

December 20, 2011

EL Pro Standards & Compliance Briefing: VDI 4707, European Parliament, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, e-Stewards, LEED

Standards & Compliance Briefing: VDI 4707, European Parliament, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, e-Stewards, LEEDFour double deck high-speed elevators from ThyssenKrupp Elevator installed in the 492-meter-tall Shanghai World Financial Center have received the VDI 4707 energy efficiency class A rating. ...

December 20, 2011

Making the Financial Case for Green Initiatives

Making the Financial Case for Green Initiatives For many green executives the biggest barrier to the adoption of sustainability initiatives remains the reluctance of financial directors to approve ...

December 16, 2011

EL Pro Standards & Compliance Briefing: Green Building Initiative, LEED, GRI, International Maritime Organization

Standards & Compliance Briefing: Green Building Initiative, LEED, GRI, International Maritime OrganizationThe Green Building Initiative released its Guiding Principles Compliance certification program for existing buildings - a tool designed to help federal agencies comply with sustainability requirements ...

December 8, 2011

Navy Launches Algae-Powered Destroyer

Navy Launches Algae-Powered DestroyerThe U.S. Navy sent a destroyer ship powered by algae-based fuel on a 20-hour trip Wednesday, the largest alternative fuel test it has undertaken to date. Some ...

November 18, 2011

Building Performance Tracking Can Thwart Gas Leaks

Building Performance Tracking Can Thwart Gas LeaksBuilding performance tracking is useful not only for tracking energy use but for improving indoor air quality, ensuring ventilation rate compliance and even ...

November 14, 2011

Noveda, Aramark to Partner on College Resource Management

Noveda, Aramark to Partner on College Resource ManagementResource management specialist Noveda Technologies and facilities management firm Aramark have announced a strategic partnership aimed at developing tools to manage energy and water consumption in ...

October 20, 2011

Clinton-Backed Efficiency Program Tackles 30m Sq Ft of Commercial Space

Clinton-Backed Efficiency Program Tackles 30m Sq Ft of Commercial SpaceA Los Angeles program backed by the Clinton Climate Initiative is giving building owners financing and free energy assessments, in an effort to raise ...

October 13, 2011