The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy just released its 2019 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard. The 50-state Scorecard reveals increasing state commitment to energy efficiency, the least-expensive clean energy resource, even where it had traditionally been overlooked. Research has shown that energy efficiency can slash U.S. energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2050—getting us halfway to the U.S. climate goals. The 13th annual report identifies the leaders—Massachusetts and California; the most-improved states, notably Maryland; the states that lost ground, such as Kentucky; and those lagging behind, including North Dakota and Wyoming. According to the Scorecard, Nevada,...

NEW YORK—Schneider Electric announced at Climate Week NYC 2019 that it is drastically stepping up its commitment to carbon neutrality with three new actions: (1) accelerating its 2030 goal of carbon neutrality by demonstrating carbon neutrality in its extended ecosystem by 2025, bringing forward its objective by five years (2) achieving net-zero operational emissions by 2030 as part of validated SBT target and (3) engage with suppliers towards a net-zero supply chain by 2050. These targets are expected to contribute to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) goal of capping global temperature increase at 1.5°C. Schneider Electric is...

NATIONAL REPORT—Ambitious new regulations on carbon emissions and a growing focus on sustainability is driving real estate investors to consider future-proofing their assets through retrofitting. Real estate is responsible for around 40 percent of global carbon emissions, according to the World Economic Forum and cities around the world have made pledges to play their part in reduction. As more regulation is implemented, landlords are under increasing scrutiny over their buildings. For investors with inefficient buildings in their portfolios, carrying out modifications now is “a smarter choice than not acting,” says Dana Robbins Schneider, Managing Director of JLL Energy and Sustainability Projects...

LA VERNE, CALIF.—For the first time ever, a solar system has been created to be able to install solar panels on any metal roof type in the world. Sunflare introduces LiteMount, the only lightweight module that seamlessly integrates with every existing metal roof attachment system. This lightweight solar system is less than 1-lb per square foot installed. That is approximately ¼ of most installed silicon framed modules. Sunflare’s CEO, Philip Gao said, “Our mission is to reduce CO2, so it’s imperative to find innovative ways to go where traditional solar can’t. At almost 4-lbs per square foot, silicon is too...

ORLANDO—The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show wrapped up last week at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando with more than 400 exhibitors demonstrating their products to restaurateurs and hoteliers from all over the state and beyond. Many of the suppliers on hand offered products to reduce energy and water consumption as well as waste. The following is a list of some of those suppliers along with descriptions of the products they introduced. True Green Enterprises, Inc.—The maker of tree free paper straws, bath tissue, jumbo roll tissue, facial tissue, paper towels, napkins, and paper cups, announced that it will...

LOVELAND, COLO.—Colorado-based Lightning Systems, a global developer of zero-emission drivetrains, introduced “Lightning On Tap” charging solutions, a comprehensive offering of AC and DC fast charge charging stations. “With more fleet operators making the switch to electric trucks and buses, planning and installing charging systems has brought a whole new set of challenges for our customers. We can now help overcome that challenge by delivering a full suite of charging hardware and software options,” said Tim Reeser, Lightning Systems CEO. “We know first-hand that fleets need timely and specific help with charging solutions for their commercial vehicles.” Lightning Systems’ lineup of new...

EAST LONGMEADOW, MASS.—Excel Dryer, Inc. announced that the Health Product Declarations (HPDs) of three of their hand dryer models, the original, patented, high-speed, energy-efficient XLERATOR Hand Dryer, the XLERATOReco Hand Dryer and the ThinAir Hand Dryer, were thoroughly reviewed and verified by an independent agency. HPDs, developed by the instructions set forth by the Health Product Declaration Collaborative (HPDC), are “a standardized format for the transparent disclosure of building product ingredients and associated hazards.” HPDs are a tool that helps buyers and specifiers better understand the environmental and health impacts of a product’s materials, to make more informed product...

According to an article published by Maria Stamas and Pierre Delforge of the Natural Resources Defense Council, the City Council of San José, Calif., yesterday voted to adopt requirements for builders that will provide San José residents with clean, affordable energy in buildings and make good on the city’s promise to lead on sustainability. The new ordinance will make San José the largest U.S. city to require construction of electric buildings. Following adoption of the ordinance and a forthcoming ordinance directed by City Council for an October vote, greenhouse gas emissions of San José’s new buildings will be cut...

NATIONAL REPORT—Eco-friendly and sustainability initiatives are at the forefront of every business’ mind now that public consciousness is focused on environmental issues. Because of this, it’s important for meeting and event planners to learn more about sustainability, especially when it comes to the venues and vendors that they organize. In fact, many hotels of all kinds are adopting sustainability and “green” practices, and committing to decreasing their environmental footprint, and it’s important for event planners to consider these. Here are the 10 most common eco-friendly initiatives adopted by hotels. 1. Conserving energy. Hotels all over the world are putting...

COOPERSBURG, PA.—For almost six decades, Lutron Electronics has been a leader in the lighting control industry. Now, as Lutron celebrates its new Commercial Experience Center in Manhattan, the company is once again bringing bold ideas and a fresh vitality to lighting and design. “Experience” is the operative word at the flagship center, located just off Fifth Avenue at 3 E. 28th Street in New York’s lively NoMad neighborhood. At the core of the center is the Lutron HXL approach, a broad philosophy of human centric lighting that deftly employs four elements of lighting design—natural light, quality light, connection to the...