Building owners in St. Louis could save at least $61.5 million annually by improving energy efficiency in their buildings, according to the city’s first annual Building Energy Benchmarking Report & Checklist to Explore Energy Savings Opportunities report.
If building owners, including the city, made efficiency upgrades, greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced by at least 11%, the report says. The calculations apply to municipally-owned and operated buildings, as well as private buildings greater than 50,000 sf. According to the City’s 2015 Greenhouse Gas Inventory, energy used in commercial, industrial, and residential buildings in St. Louis is responsible for 77% of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Along with the benchmarking report, the city released a new energy efficiency checklist that was developed in conjunction with the U.S. Green Building Council-Missouri Gateway Chapter. The checklist provides recommended steps for saving energy in buildings and investing in building maintenance staff.
“We hope the energy efficient checklist, combined with education and training opportunities, utility incentives and PACE financing, will drive investments in the efficiency of our buildings and reduce their environmental impacts,” said Emily Andrews, Executive Director of the U.S. Green Building Council-Missouri Gateway Chapter, in a news release.
Related Stories
| May 3, 2012
Green-roof requirement now includes industrial facilities in Toronto
A mandate that requires installation of green roofs on new commercial and residential buildings in Toronto has been expanded to include industrial facilities.
| May 3, 2012
Innovative wastewater treatment helps achieve LEED rating
LEED for New Construction, Neighborhood Development and the LEED Volume Program offer some ways to achieve LEED points when dealing with wastewater treatment.
| Apr 26, 2012
Lack of bolts on steel support caused collapse at Cincinnati casino
Too few bolts connecting horizontal steel support beams with vertical steel columns was the cause of January’s construction accident at Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati, according to the report of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
| Apr 26, 2012
OSHA criticized for taking too long to roll out safety rules
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration takes far too long to adopt new safety regulations compared to other agencies’ development of rules, safety experts said during a Senate hearing.
| Apr 26, 2012
Contractors fear that GSA scandal will lead to fewer federal construction contracts
In the wake of the recent scandal at the General Services Administration in which workers spent lavishly at a Las Vegas conference, a spokesman for Associated General Contractors of America said contractors are worried the scandal will result in cuts to GSA's construction and renovation budgets.
| Apr 26, 2012
Developers can use LEED wastewater credits to help gain approvals in environmentally sensitive locales
Those wanting to pursue development in heavily regulated and environmentally sensitive areas are benefiting by designing projects that qualify for LEED points, even if the project as a whole does not achieve certification.
| Apr 26, 2012
New York City Council moves to license elevator mechanics
New York’s City Council introduced a measure last week that would require the city’s 7,000 elevator mechanics to meet national standards and be licensed by the city.
| Apr 23, 2012
AAMA releases updated specification for anodized aluminum
AAMA 611-12 describes test procedures and requirements for high performance (Class I) and commercial (Class II) architectural quality aluminum oxide coatings applied to aluminum extrusions and panels for architectural products.
