The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that will create a voluntary energy-efficiency program modeled after Energy Star for commercial and government buildings.
President Obama is expected to sign the so-called Tenant Star law, which authorizes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to set up a branding, recognition, and certification program. Tenant Star is targeted for property owners and tenants who design, build, and operate leased spaces in office buildings.
Tenant Star encourages tenants, who, in some buildings, consume more than half of the power used by the building, to take measures to save energy. If the program is widely adopted, it could save landlords and tenants an estimated $2 billion by 2030 and reduce carbon emissions by nearly 12 million metric tons.
"Tenant Star will also go a long way to help ensure that U.S. buildings—and the separate spaces leased within them—are at the vanguard of technology and energy conservation,” says Anthony E. Malkin, Chair of The Real Estate Roundtable's Sustainability Policy Advisory Committee and Chairman and CEO of Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. “The program will allow building owners to attract financiers, investors, and tenants in the increasingly competitive national and global markets for real estate.”
Related Stories
| Jun 21, 2012
Brazilian engineering/construction firm Odebrecht sues Florida over ban on companies doing business in Cuba
Odebrecht Construction Inc., a Brazilian engineering and construction company, is suing the State of Florida over a new law that bans governments from hiring companies with business ties to Cuba.
| Jun 21, 2012
String of shattered glass balcony panels prompts call for code reform in Ontario
Since last summer, glass balconies have shattered at 13 different buildings in Toronto.
| Jun 21, 2012
California adds window film to building code
California is the first state to add window film into its building code. Window film, a polymer material, offers cost-effective energy savings.
| Jun 21, 2012
New ISO standard to improve environmental management of concrete
A new ISO standard will help the construction industry better manage the environmental impacts of concrete.
| Jun 21, 2012
On net-zero projects, Building Teams will be held accountable for energy-efficiency performance
The building team will be held accountable for how net-zero energy buildings perform two, five, and maybe ten years after completion.
| Jun 14, 2012
USGBC co-founder launches rating system for building product manufacturers
U.S. Green Building Council co-founder David Gottfried’s new venture, Regenerative Ventures, has established a rating system for building product manufacturers.
| Jun 14, 2012
Green standard set for single-ply roofing membrane
A sustainability standard has been established for single-ply roofing membranes used on commercial buildings.
| Jun 14, 2012
Minnesota Vikings stadium plan gets legislative go-ahead
Legislation that approved the construction of a new billion dollar stadium for the Minnesota Vikings passed the Minnesota legislature.
| Jun 14, 2012
Report alleges New York’s prevailing construction wages are miscalculated, costing billions
A miscalculation in how prevailing wages are calculated in New York reportedly costs the state $3 billion a year in public-infrastructure projects.
