Institutional Resources
Cool-Challenge Challenge Institutional Carbon Footprint Measurement and Reduction
Reducing Your Carbon Footprint
Good places to start are:
2) ENERGY STAR
3) Cool Leaders Training
Directory of Green Building Resources in the Washington Area:
Downloadable Directory of Green Building Resources
Last updated June 5, 2007
(With thanks to GreenHOME )
LEED Green Building Certification (US Green Building Council)
Resources for saving energy in your buildings
1) ENERGY STAR checklist of best practices for operating and maintaining commercial buildings.
2) ENERGY STAR benchmark non-resdential buildings to find out how their energy efficiency compares to similar buildings on a one to 100 scale.
3) Free online ENERGY STAR training on topics including benchmarking buildings and best practices in building operation and maintance (see schedule of upcoming live seminars)
4) Strategic Building Systems offers discounted retrocommissioning services to Cool partners to optimize the operations and maintenance of large buildings and cut energy consumption by 2-20%. Strategic Building Solutions has committed to provide complimentary site evaluations to promising candidate buildings that fully complete this screening document (MS Word and PDF).
Best practices for offices: http://www.cec.org/eco-sat/english/guide/section02/index.html
Lighting resources for saving energy and carbon:
1) Find an Energy-Saving Light Bulb site by Environmental Defense
2) Fluorescent and compact fluorescent lights contain relatively little mercury.
3) "The Best Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs: PM Lab Test" - Popular Mechanics, May 2007
- "Here was the real shocker: When it came to the overall quality of the light, all the CFLs scored higher than our incandescent control bulb. In other words, the new fluorescent bulbs aren’t just better for both your wallet and the environment, they produce better light."
Building Operating Management, September 2007
- CB Richard Ellis commits to use ENERGY STAR tools to lower its carbon footprint. CoStar analysis shows a price premium for ENERGY STAR-labeled buildings
Resources for helping your employees commute sustainably
Local jurisdictions provide free help to employers to survey their employees and collect other data and then use that data to design an employee-friendly "sustainable commute" plan -- the services are free. Contact information for free employer commuting assistance: http://www.mwcog.org/commuter/Bdy-empsvcs-reps.html
The link to information on how employers can help their employees with alternate commuting options: http://www.mwcog.org/commuter/Bdy-empsvcs-services.html
Resources related to saving paper
EPA Wastewise Tools for calculating the CO2 impact of recycling and waste reduction
Environmental Defense Paper Calculator
Other Resources
Green DC Week Global Warming brochure with energy saving tips
HP has great IT energy saving tips:
2) 5 Steps Toward Energy Efficiency
Environmentally preferable procurement resource:
http://www.cec.org/eco-sat/english/index.html
For Hotels:
1) Hotel & Motel Management article "Compact fluorescents save money, energy"
March 5, 2007 by Stuart Brodsky (includes brief case study of Willard Hotel)
2) New York Times article "Enjoy Your Green Stay" June 26, 2007 by Martha White
- “'Environmental issues are one of the hottest issues within the travel industry right now,' said Bill Connors, the executive director of the National Business Travel Association. The association is addressing the topic of eco-friendly elements in hotel design and operations for the first time at its annual convention in July."
For Restaurants:
1) Five Paths to a Greener Restaurant
2) Green Restaurant Association
3) NRDC calculates that importing water from France and Italy generates 4000 tons of CO2 per year, equivalent to the annual emissions from 700 cars. An alternative is for restaurants to serve filtered tap water. "Drink local" complements "eat local" NY Times article May 30, 2007 "Fighting the Tide, a Few Restaurants Tilt to Tap Water"
For Retailers: