Sustainability
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Oregon legislature passes first-in-nation microgrid framework
Gov. Tina Kotek, D, is expected to sign the bills that advocates say would protect buildings and other critical infrastructure against increasingly frequent power disruptions.
By Brian Martucci • July 10, 2025 -
Courtesy of Trane Technologies
Chicago-area school district deploys geothermal system that’s a US first
The dynamic closed-loop system uses groundwater to reject and absorb heat to provide year-round space conditioning for a 130-year-old elementary school, Trane Technologies says.
By Brian Martucci • July 9, 2025 -
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TrendlineTop 5 stories from Facilities Dive
Top 5 stories from Facilities Dive
By Facilities Dive staff -
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OpinionThe often-overlooked shelter from the storm: green buildings
In the 2008-09 economic downturn, green buildings were a bright spot. They could be again as remote work, tariffs and inflation hang over the economy.
By Mahesh Ramanujam • July 8, 2025 -
Alex Potemkin via Getty Images
Loss of 179D deduction could derail office conversions
Although the deduction is about making commercial buildings energy efficient, it’s been key to owners’ willingness to invest in obsolete and financially distressed properties, supporters say.
By Robert Freedman • July 7, 2025 -
ID 128111495 | 5g Connectivity © Yingyai Pumiwatana | Dreamstime.com
Sponsored by Simpl Global, IncWhy peak power management is important
Must be an integral part of building automation systems.
By Farid Dibachi • July 7, 2025 -
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Groups decry Senate’s elimination of building efficiency deduction
The Section 179D Energy Efficient Commercial Building Deduction has grown into a major incentive for owners to retrofit their properties, supporters say.
By Robert Freedman • July 2, 2025 -
(2025). "ENERGY STAR NextGen Certification for Commercial Buildings" [Photograph]. Retrieved from Energy Star.
ColumnThe Energy Star program has grown into an industry standard-setter
The program’s Portfolio Manager software is used to track the energy use of almost 25% of commercial buildings. Its end could put owners, cities and states in a bind — at least for the short term.
By Joe Burns • July 2, 2025 -
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ASHRAE focusing on indoor environmental quality, sustainability
President Bill McQuade’s theme for 2025-26 is healthy buildings. That goal doesn’t have to come at the expense of energy efficiency, a standards committee member says.
By Joe Burns • July 1, 2025 -
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Minnesota county faces challenge in decarbonizing well-maintained district energy system
Hennepin County “has done too good of a job” maintaining its 15-building steam and chilled water loops, leaving little room for incremental improvements, the project’s engineering consultant said at an industry conference.
By Brian Martucci • June 30, 2025 -
Retrieved from New York State Energy Research & Development Authority on June 26, 2025
New York offering up to $750K for facility decarbonization projects
The Large-Scale Thermal program is accepting applications through July 31 for heating, cooling and hot water systems in single buildings of at least 100,000 square feet or campuses of 250,000 square feet and up.
By Brian Martucci • June 26, 2025 -
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Utilities, energy developers back Senate’s more lenient tax credit timeline
A powerful coalition of trade associations and energy groups thanked senators for rolling back some of the House version’s deepest cuts, but the two chambers will need to agree on a final bill.
By Brian Martucci • June 26, 2025 -
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US, global cities tout emissions reductions
Local U.S. officials say they’re driving emissions goals from the ground up since the Trump administration’s withdrawal from key international climate events and agreements.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • June 24, 2025 -
Retrieved from Jordan Stead, Amazon on June 23, 2025
Data center heat could make US campuses more efficient, experts say
The U.S. lags Europe and Canada on data center heat recovery, but the industry’s breakneck growth offers a significant opportunity for universities, companies, district energy providers and others.
By Brian Martucci • June 23, 2025 -
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Targeted investment, tech can sustain critical infrastructure
To help communities bounce back after disaster, jurisdictions must identify gaps in lifeline systems and cost-effective ways to mend them, panelists at the Building Innovation 2025 conference said.
By Julie Strupp • June 18, 2025 -
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Meta signs geothermal power deal for New Mexico data centers
The tech and social media giant entered an agreement with XGS Energy to help develop 150 MW of geothermal power generation.
By Lamar Johnson • June 18, 2025 -
Retrieved from Exhale Fans on June 17, 2025
Bladeless ceiling fan maker touts design’s energy, air quality benefits
Pulling cool, dry air from the floor and redistributing it across the room can save operators money while improving indoor air quality, a bladeless fan manufacturer says.
By Joe Burns • June 17, 2025 -
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How the potential end of Energy Star could affect building operators
The demise of the widely-used program could lead to a massive disruption in building operations, experts say.
By Mary Salmonsen • June 17, 2025 -
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ASHRAE, ICC open second review period for building lifecycle emissions standard
The proposed joint standard seeks to establish a methodology for quantifying embodied and operational greenhouse gas emissions across the lifecycle of buildings and their sites.
By Joe Burns • June 16, 2025 -
poravute via Getty Images
Is climate-responsive paint a future reality?
An inventor used thermochromic pigment to create paint that darkens in cold weather and lightens in warm weather, resulting in interior temperature changes that could curb building energy costs, CNN reports.
By Robert Freedman • June 11, 2025 -
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Opinion
What should performance benchmarking look like post-Energy Star?
The proposed elimination of one of the federal government’s most successful sustainability programs raises questions about how to measure building efficiency.
By Matt Ellis • June 6, 2025 -
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Targeted HVAC interventions can yield big savings, researcher says
By focusing on inefficient zones and rooms that generate a disproportionate share of fault signals to the building management system, operators can maximize their resources, a Stanford researcher says.
By Joe Burns • June 4, 2025 -
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How small operational changes can add up to large energy savings
Facilities that can’t afford to deploy capital for building system upgrades can eke out savings in ways operators might not have thought about, an Accruent white paper says.
By Robert Freedman • June 2, 2025 -
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NYC building owners still have time to file LL97 extensions
The city implemented a 60-day grace period for reporting annual energy and water use or for seeking an extension until August. Separately, a lawsuit against the regulation was dismissed.
By Joe Burns • May 29, 2025 -
Courtesy of BP Pulse
BP Pulse is bringing EV chargers to Waffle House
Chosen sites in the Southeast and the Sunbelt will get six electric vehicle charging bays, with the first locations coming online next year.
By Jessica Loder • May 27, 2025 -
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Building sector needs all hands on deck to meet Washington’s 2050 emissions goal: reports
To substantially decarbonize buildings by 2050, building owners must swap virtually all end-of-life fossil fuel appliances for zero-emissions alternatives after 2030, the Clean Energy Transition Institute and 2050 Institute said.
By Brian Martucci • May 27, 2025
