In general, buildings built in Boston before 1950 are more energy efficient than those built after that year, according to the city’s first annual report of private-sector energy use.
A 2013 city ordinance requires large buildings in the city to report energy and water use. The first year of reporting covered about 45% of the energy used by all commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings in Boston. Owners of 820 buildings participated, with a combined accounting of 175 million sf of space.
Another key finding was that the energy used per square foot varied greatly even among buildings of the same type. Among Boston’s large office buildings, for example, the most energy-intensive buildings reported ten times more energy per square foot than the least energy-intensive buildings.
This year, the city has expanded outreach to buildings between 50,000 sf and 100,000 sf, which had lower compliance rates than larger buildings. City administrators are working to identify the appropriate points of contact within complex ownership entities. The city is also increasing staff resources for help services and improving guidance documents.
Related Stories
| Nov 29, 2011
First EPD awarded to exterior roof and wall products manufacturer
EPD is a standardized, internationally recognized tool for providing information on a product’s environmental impact.
| Nov 29, 2011
Suffolk Construction breaks ground on Boston residential tower
Millennium Place III is a $220 million, 256-unit development that will occupy a full city block in Boston’s Downtown Crossing.
| Nov 29, 2011
Report finds credit crunch accounts for 20% of nation’s stalled projects
Persistent financing crunch continues to plague design and construction sector.
| Nov 28, 2011
Leo A Daly and McCarthy Building complete Casino Del Sol expansion in Tucson, Ariz.
Firms partner with Pascua Yaqui Tribe to bring new $130 million Hotel, Spa & Convention Center to the Tucson, Ariz., community.
| Nov 28, 2011
Armstrong acquires Simplex Ceilings
Simplex will become part of the Armstrong Building Products division.
| Nov 28, 2011
Nauset Construction completes addition for Franciscan Hospital for Children
The $6.5 million fast-track, urban design-build projectwas completed in just over 16 months in a highly sensitive, occupied and operational medical environment.
| Nov 22, 2011
Corporate America adopting revolutionary technology
The survey also found that by 2015, the standard of square feet allocated per employee is expected to drop from 200 to estimates ranging from 50 to 100 square feet per person dependent upon the industry sector.
| Nov 22, 2011
Report finds that L.A. lags on solar energy, offers policy solutions
Despite robust training programs, L.A. lacks solar jobs; lost opportunity for workers in high-need communities.
| Nov 22, 2011
Saskatchewan's $1.24 billion carbon-capture project
The government of Saskatchewan has approved construction of the Boundary Dam Integrated Carbon Capture and Storage Demonstration Project.
