building efficiency
Building Efficiency & Electrification At The Heart of US Net Zero Emissions Target
August 29th, 2023US & EU Tackle Building Efficiency with Significant Policy Developments
May 25th, 2023
DOE Connected Buildings Pilot: A Small Step in the Right Direction
Earlier this month the US Department of Energy (DOE) announced a $61 million pilot project that will create 10 highly connected communities across the country. The initiative will transform thousands of homes and workplaces into energy-efficient buildings that can interact with the electrical grid to optimize their energy consumption. While not extraordinary in terms of investment or […]
The Whitehouse Turns Green with New Building Efficiency Policies
During his first 100 days in office, President Biden made bold claims to re-establish the US as a leader in the fight against climate change. Resigning the COP21 Paris agreement and issuing an executive order to achieve a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and put the US on an “irreversible path” to a net-zero […]
Moving Past the Era of Underperformance to an Age of Better Building Construction
Why is the construction industry underperforming? The skills shortage is a reason for poor quality work and slow technology uptake, labor and material costs explain high rates for the customer, and each blames the previous link in the construction supply chain for whatever is going wrong. The time has come for the construction sector to […]
Better Utilizing Human Intelligence For Energy Efficiency In Buildings
When attempting to increase energy efficiency in buildings, the single most influential change you can make is to the behavior of the user. This is not about changing behaviors that will cause discomfort or inconvenience, huge gains can be made by simply making people aware of the energy they waste. There is no need to […]
Building a Closer Relationship Between Construction & IT for Smarter Buildings
Smart buildings are where construction meets information technology, so when a leading construction firm join forces with a global IT superpower expectations will run high. The recent agreement between PCL Construction and Microsoft promises to fuel joint innovation and development of smart building implementations. “PCL is an early adopter in the smart buildings space,” states […]
Europe Wants To Lead The World On Energy Efficiency
As the incoming US leadership threatens to keep its campaign promises and withdraw from the COP21 Paris climate agreement, signed by a record-breaking 193 countries and counting. Across the Atlantic, the EU have decided that they not only want to adapt to this clean energy transition, they want to lead it. Last week, the European […]
Panasonic Partners With Schneider Electric And Tesla On Low-Carbon Tech
Tech giant Panasonic Corporation is demonstrating the power of partnerships with two headline agreements within a matter of days. Last week Panasonic announced an integrated HVAC equipment and building management solution with energy management and automation specialist Schneider Electric. The firms say the joint solution brings new levels of HVAC control and energy efficiency to […]
The Harmonization Of Smart Grid & Smart Building Markets Has Begun
Smart buildings and smart grids only go so far in optimizing energy consumption in cities, the two need to be synchronized to complete the energy saving story. As much as 40% of total energy consumption in the US comes from buildings. While great strides have been made to develop smart building energy saving technology alongside […]