Category: Sustainability

We are all very familiar with the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on our lives (changes in work, changes in schooling, changes in social behavior, loss of loved ones), but what impact has the pandemic had on the environment? Just as the pandemic has had both positive (more time with family, a slower…

Understanding the impacts of the waste stream can be tricky and understanding the role of waste in sustainability can at times be a twisting road to follow.  Our waste stream impacts us in many ways. Globally a significant amount of energy is required to process pulp and paper. Using recycled paper uses 65% less energy…

Bitcoin, a type of cryptocurrency, has gained extreme popularity in recent years.  Bitcoin allows financial transactions to be made without the involvement of banks and allows users to buy merchandise anonymously. As a way to earn Bitcoins and put more coins into circulation, users can “mine” for more coins.  In order to “mine” Bitcoin, computers –…

On January 1, Washington DC’s Building Energy Performance Standards became the latest jurisdiction to enact a Performance-Based Building Energy Standard; if you are a real estate owner in the District of Columbia of an asset over 50,000 square feet and already mandated to benchmark, the new Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) applies to your building….

I think Valentine’s Day is weak. It seems to symbolize that once a year we celebrate the person or people that we love. Shouldn’t we do that every day? Shouldn’t we wake up every morning wondering how we can be worthy of love, how we can celebrate those that we love. Earth Day, although it…

We are pleased to announce that the winner of this year’s Utility Management Advisory (UMA) Sustainability and Innovation Award was Greystar! The Sustainability and Innovation award celebrates excellence in energy, water and / or trash management, as well as projects demonstrating measurable enhancements in sustainability practices. The award was presented to Greystar for their “Move…

We are excited to announce that the Utility Management Advisory has created a Sustainability and Innovation award, which will recognize our members and other colleagues for their contributions in our industry! The first award will be given out in early 2021 (at the annual Energy Summit), and we plan for the award to be awarded…

Grid operators have always dealt with a number of challenges and some amount of uncertainty from factors such as extreme weather to equipment failures. Now, fluctuating supplies of renewable energy, some of it flowing from consumers with rooftop solar panels outfitted with smart meters, are increasing the number of variables grid operators must consider.  Researchers…

As our world includes more devices, the role of energy consumption by these plugged in devices becomes an increasingly important topic.  In fact, a Stanford Study showed that on average, 23% of household electricity consumption in Northern California was not only the result of plugged in devices, but idle plugged in devices. These inactive plug…

A new branch of science fiction that focuses on climate change or global warming is called Climate Fiction or “Cli-Fi” for short.  Apocalyptic or post-apocalyptic fiction has been around for a long time, but it generally focused on nuclear war, pandemics, or even zombies.  Now with more attention focused on climate change, it is drawing…