Although connecting energy efficiency programs and private capital may seem like an ideal partnership, program managers from New York and Pennsylvania have found it is challenging to achieve competitive investment ratings for energy efficiency loan portfolios. Jeff Pitkin and Keith Welks discussed their experiences with accessing the secondary market in (more…)

“Winter is coming.”

This is the common refrain in the popular book, Game of Thrones, in which kings vie to take over lands. As I thought about the green building policy mess of 2012, I couldn’t help but draw comparisons to Game of Thrones.

This was supposed to be the year of the USGBC’s (more…)

Opening day for baseball has finally arrived and MLB officially has its third LEED certified ball park. Miller Park in Milwaukee joins AT&T Park (San Francisco) and Target Field (Minneapolis) in an all-star lineup of energy conscious Major League facilities. However, Miller Park is the first LEED certified ball park that also has a retractable roof. Johnson Controls, (more…)

For much of 2011, my focus has been the Destiny USA project. This should not come as a surprise to readers who waded through my thirteen posts on the topic. I had planned to not write about the Destiny USA project again. But then I came across a press release while I was at Greenbuild: (more…)

Several weeks ago, Washington DC was hit by both an earthquake and a hurricane. But this was not the most shocking development during the week — at least for me.

Here’s what shocked me the most: I learned there is a chance that LEED bonds could be available in our nation’s capital. (more…)

Yesterday, Judge Sands dismissed Henry Gifford’s suit against the USGBC.  A copy of the Order is available here.  In a major win for the USGBC, Judge Sands dismissed Gifford, et al’s Federal claims with prejudice, which means they cannot be brought again, Because the Federal claims were dismissed, (more…)

Energy Star is an international standard for energy efficient consumer products originated in the United States of America. It was first created as a United States government program during the early 1990s, but Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan and the European Union have also adopted the program. Devices carrying the Energy Star logo, such (more…)

On Friday, the USGBC responded to Henry Gifford’s amended complaint with a Motion To Dismiss for failure to state a legal claim (Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6)) and for lack of subject matter jurisdiction (Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1)).

In essence, the USGBC’s response has two (more…)

Whether your company is looking to be more environmentally friendly or simply more focused on saving green than actually going green (or perhaps a combination of both!), you are destined to get up close and personal with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). (more…)

Developers and facility owners are aware of their ability to make a building more sustainable – solar installation, timed lighting, metered water usage, to name a few. However, the price tag of “going green” can make someone stop and think twice.

That’s where LEED comes in. By adhering (more…)