Energy Priorities [Podcasts]

Keeping a Watchful Eye over Energy Use - Building Priorities Briefing

Thu, 20 May 2010 09:38:57 -0800

Thanks to new laws, buyers and tenants of large buildings in some areas are entitled to know a building's energy score before they complete their purchase or lease. How long before the U.S. catches up to Europe, where buildings will be labeled according to their energy consumption? Is simply reporting a score meaningful, if there aren't also requirements to improve energy efficiency? Can cities achieve their carbon-related goals without imposing both kinds of rules on businesses? Denis Du Bois interviews Phil Bomrad, Director, Building Technologies, Siemens. (podcast)

Continuous Commissioning - Energy:Minute

Wed, 19 May 2010 09:07:25 -0800

Continuous commissioning goes by many names. It's a way of making sure building systems are running at peak efficiency. Learn about it, in a minute. (podcast)

New Models for Rooftop Solar Power - Building Priorities Briefing

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 13:08:22 -0800

Southern California Edison has launched one of the most ambitious solar initiatives yet. It involves using the roofs of commercial buildings to develop renewable energy resources. Building owners get paid to host the solar arrays on their rooftops, and the utility takes all the risk. Where else is this kind of program happening? Why would a building owner choose this over the other alternatives for rooftop solar? In this month's briefing Denis Du Bois and guest co-host Stephen Lacey decipher the impact for owners, tenants, and solar companies. Denis interviews the corporate sustainability executive for AMB Property Corporation, who just joined SCE's new program. (podcast)

Rooftop Solar Ownership Models - Energy:Minute

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 12:00:01 -0800

When you see solar modules on the roof of a building, they might not actually belong to the building's owner. Two common ownership scenarios have been around for several years. Lately, utilities have been devising new ownership models, to meet renewable energy requirements in their states. Learn the differences, in a minute. (podcast)

AMB Leases Warehouse Roof to Energy Utility

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 12:00:00 -0800

Southern California Edison has announced three large installations of utility-owned solar on buildings. The latest of those is a warehouse owned by AMB Property Corporation. Denis Du Bois interviews Aaron Binkley, LEED AP, AMB's Director of Sustainability Programs. He's a registered architect and AMB's resident expert on energy, sustainability, and green building.

Zero Energy Buildings, Blocks, and Cities - Building Priorities Briefing

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:59:23 -0800

Imagine a building so energy efficient that it can generate what power it needs with the solar modules on its own roof -- a net zero energy building. It's not a pipe dream. We've been building them in the United States for a decade. The U.S. Department of Energy wants the "ZEB" to be the standard for new buildings. Why is it important to match renewable energy output with the demand for power on a building-by-building basis? And after ten years of zero-energy design, why do we only have eight buildings to show for it? In this month's briefing Denis Du Bois talks with David Orr, who designed and built the largest zero-energy building in the U.S. If you think that's cool, wait until you hear what Orr is doing for an encore.

Zero Energy Buildings - "Zero" of What? - Energy:Minute

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:47:50 -0800

"Zero energy" is a term we'll see applied to more and more buildings. It means the building produces as much energy on site as it uses. But that's not the whole story. There are many variations. Learn what they mean, in a minute.

Revealing Ratings to Validate Value of Energy Efficient Space - Building Priorities Briefing

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 09:10:19 -0800

What do Seattle, Austin and New York have in common? They've all enacted regulations to expose energy-wasting buildings. Owners of large buildings will have to disclose their energy scores to prospective buyers, tenants and lenders. Similar laws have been passed in three states -- and more are on the way. In this month's briefing we explore what's driving these mandates, and how they affect building owners and tenants. Some building owners are making improvements now, to raise their energy scores before they're made public. What's the business case? We'll learn about that, as well as where are the best places to look for low-cost and no-cost ways to boost a building's efficiency score. (podcast) (transcript)

How Green Are the 2010 Winter Olympics? - Building Priorities Briefing

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:00:00 -0800

The 2010 Games are being dubbed the "Sustainable Olympics," but is Vancouver BC setting any world records? In this month's Briefing we examine some lessons from the global spectacle. First we look at the venues that Canada constructed for the upcoming Winter Games, to see if they win any green medals. Seven years after winning the bid, we find Canadians are not entirely happy about the upcoming games. Green business guru Martin Westerman shares his thoughts about how to really make the games green. (podcast)

Green Buildings of Vancouver's 2010 Winter Olympics

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:53:59 -0800

VANOC ordered Olympic host cities to build 9 venues from the ground up, and renovate several existing arenas. All of the new venues will be certified green buildings. VANOC's Vice President of Corporate Sustainability tells us about the green construction projects. Then we're joined by Stephen Lacey, host of "Inside Renewable Energy." Stephen gives us his take on the energy systems in the Olympic Village and beyond.

How To Really Make the Olympics Green

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:52:59 -0800

If the IOC had no choice but to make the Olympics environmentally neutral, how would they do it? Martin Westerman has some ideas. He is the author of "The Business Environmental Handbook," a lecturer on sustainable business for the University of Washington Business School and the Bainbridge Graduate Institute.

Energy Monitoring - Energy:Minute

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:14:32 -0800

You can't manage what you can't measure. Monitoring is an essential component of managing energy use. (podcast) (transcript)

Interview: David Helliwell, Co-Founder, Pulse Energy

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 10:32:02 -0800

Pulse Energy in Vancouver is making it possible for you to watch real-time energy consumption at the 2010 Winter Olympic venues in Vancouver. Denis Du Bois talks with the company's co-founder, David Helliwell.

Building Information Modeling (BIM) - Energy:Minute

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 10:48:33 -0800

Building Information Modeling is a computer-based simulation of a construction project, linked with a database of information about the project. (podcast) (transcript)

Greenbuild 2009: Model to Building to Grid - Building Priorities Briefing

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:23:34 -0800

In this final Briefing of 2009: The New York Times building uses an approach called "total light management" to shave 70 percent off its lighting energy use. We'll hear how they decided on that approach, how it works, and how it's working. Plus: Denis Du Bois interviews Siemens on the building-to-smart-grid interface, and Autodesk on how building information modeling could accelerate the certification process for green buildings. (podcast)