Commercial property owners should commit to greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction—a strategy that reaps financial benefits and prevents buildings from becoming stranded assets, according to an energy efficiency consultant writing in GlobeSt.
A systematic drive to reduce emissions across the portfolio will garner savings on energy and water, as well as on levies for exceeding carbon emissions standards enacted by local governments. Decarbonization can avoid “stranded assets … properties that will be exposed to the risk of early economic obsolescence due to climate change because they will not meet future regulatory efficiency standards or market expectations.”
The first step is to set minimum standards for the entire portfolio and efficiency goals for individual properties. Portfolio standards could be performance based (e.g., 10% reduction of all assets by 2030), or prescriptive based (e.g., 100% LED lighting at all assets by 2025).
An energy and water audit, a comprehensive analysis of the property’s energy and water consumption using the ASHRAE Energy Audit Standards, should be conducted at each site. The audit measures energy and water usage, identifies property conditions that may cause excessive use, and provides efficiency measures to improve energy and water efficiency.
Other GHG reduction measures include building automation and controls, retro-commissioning, sourcing green energy from utilities, fully electrifying buildings, and integrating renewable energy systems into the property.
Related Stories
| May 31, 2012
Lawsuits push the legal boundaries of green building definition
This article explores some legal issues stemming from lawsuits in which plaintiffs have charged developers with not delivering on a promised level of sustainability.
| May 31, 2012
ANSI approves Green Building Initiative’s design standard
The Green Building Initiative (GBI), a Portland, Ore. nonprofit organization, has had its new consensus-based standard for the design, construction, and operations of environmentally friendly buildings approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
| May 31, 2012
USGBC testing Minnesota buildings to see if they are living up to LEED standards
The Minnesota chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has teamed up with EnergyPrint, a St. Paul, Minn. energy consulting firm, to study the energy and water use of more than 150 buildings in the state that have LEED certification.
| May 29, 2012
Reconstruction Awards Entry Information
Download a PDF of the Entry Information at the bottom of this page.
| May 25, 2012
Major retail chains welcome LEED Volume option
Large national chains such as Starbucks, Marriott, Verizon, and Kohl’s are welcoming the LEED Volume Program that enables them to batch certify similar projects.
| May 25, 2012
Alaska’s okay of gravel aggregate with naturally occurring asbestos opens up development
Some long-delayed projects in the Upper Kobuk region of Alaska may now move forward thanks to legislation that allows construction in areas that have naturally occurring asbestos.
| May 25, 2012
Las Vegas building codes may thwart innovative shipping container development
A developer wants to build a commercial development out of steel shipping containers in Las Vegas, but city codes would have to be altered or the project would have to obtain waivers for it to receive the city’s go-ahead.
| May 25, 2012
Collapse of Brooklyn building that killed worker blamed on improperly braced frame
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited SP&K Construction with 11 safety violations, for which it could face more than $77,000 in fines.
| May 25, 2012
Study: Safety inspections don’t hurt the bottom line
A new study suggests that random safety inspections by regulators help reduce injury claims without hurting profits.
