Building performance affects operating cost, comfort, maintenance, and the useful life of a space. Decisions about equipment, lighting, water use, and energy improvements also depend on how the building is operated and who pays for the work.
This archive includes articles on energy and water conservation, HVAC operation and upgrades, lighting, materials, and green leasing. Check each article’s date when reading about products, standards, or requirements.
An energy project can make financial sense for the building and still stall if the lease sends the cost to one party and the savings
The better choice depends on the restroom, the building and what it takes to operate each option. Are paper towels less costly to your facility
Before deciding how to reduce water consumption, understand where the building is actually using it. Updated October 2026 Let’s start with the basics: if you
By David Pospisil, Contributing Columnist Making schools energy efficient need not be an exercise in sacrifice. Schools can get the same or better services, as
By J. Vachola, Contributing Columnist Concrete directly contributes to LEED ratings when used in the following ways: Redevelopment of Polluted Sites (Sustainable Sites Credit 3)
There are dozens of ways to reduce energy use. The harder question is deciding which ones make sense for your building. Originally published March 9,
Obsolete building systems rarely fail on the day the market moves on. The owner has to decide when continued operation stops making sense. Updated October
Watts tell you how much power lighting uses. Lumens tell you how much light it produces. Kelvin tells you something else entirely. Updated October 2026
By Rudy Holesek, Contributing Columnist Here is a typical scenario. Your energy and repair costs are high, you are frustrated by frequent breakdowns, you are
By Rudy Holesek, Contributing Columnist Editor’s Note — October 2026: This contributed article was originally published in 2012. The tools, benchmarking requirements, and energy-performance standards
by Brian Sahn, Esq., & Jared Newman, Contributing Columnists As the costs of energy-efficient retrofits and green practices trend downward, they are becoming more common,
