Energy Auditing: The First Step

Before beginning any improvements or projects designed at increasing efficiencies, it is imperative to have a basis for comparison. An energy audit is the process of assessing current rates of consumption. Whether dealing with energy, water, or any other variable, having a baseline rate of use offers a way to quantify any subsequent changes. By dividing the amount of change from the base rate, by the original base rate, you are able to find the percentage increase or decrease in usage. This information will ultimately help in determining the return on investment of any project.

Green Building Hurdles

The Sustainability and Green movements are gaining popularity to the extent that the terms have almost become cliche. However, despite the amount of press that this new environmentalism has been getting recently, the ideas and practices have yet to break into the mainstream. Nowhere is this more evident than in the real estate industry. There are new building standards, rating systems and an abundance of "green" products to choose from, but green building is suffering from 3 misconceptions that are currently keeping it from being fully accepted by the general public.

There is a general idea that in order for a building to be sustainable or energy-efficient, then it has to have a certain look. Contrary to popular belief, for a building to be green, it does not have to look futuristic. While there are many features that could be added to a building to increase efficiency, such as solar panels, green roofs, rain water harvesting systems etc., it is possible to have a building that blends into the surrounding community without these distinguishing "green" features.