Sustainability is a business model that has taken more prominence in the business world recently. Investors like Larry Fink at BlackRock have identified sustainability as a "new standard for investing" to manage and minimize business risk. There has been a lot of buzz around defining, structuring, and organizing this new business model. At Foresight, we have been asked by many CEO, CFOs, and Vice Presidents of Sales, "Where do we start?"

What you aim for… matters. Even if you aim at nothing, you still get what you aim for! Better to aim carefully. Energy use in a facility is “modeled” in a computational environment (i.e., software). It is a prediction of facility energy use and, just as importantly, energy cost.

I’ve been providing sustainable building design consulting services for almost two decades. Most of this time has been directly collaborating with designers, engineers, contractors, and building owners. Over the years, I’ve noticed two dominant yet elusive opportunities for meaningful, amplified impact within the life cycle of any given building…

While there are many avenues for improving your facility’s energy efficiency, you must implement them in the correct order. It may be tempting to start with onsite solar to prove your enthusiasm for sustainability or appeal to your stakeholders’ requests. Still, it won’t have the RIO you intend without taking the proper steps beforehand.

In my recent conversations with businesses leaders and manufacturers, one question has been repeated: What is the difference between Sustainability and ESG? While both terms have been around for a decade-plus, their infiltration into the marketplace is just now hitting a tipping point for companies of all sizes.

Back in the day, design architects and engineers were involved “cradle to grave” with new building construction. They designed the building, negotiated with the contractors, visited the site numerous times during construction, and conducted or supervised testing of everything to confirm proper installation and operation. That was the norm 50 or more years ago. But things have changed since then…

Disclosing your ESG efforts to your stakeholders builds trust. Mechanisms like certifications, standards, and sustainability reports provide a framework for sharing your values, efforts, and goals with your stakeholders.

Have you ever noticed that the IRS seems to love using three numbers and sometimes a letter to describe funds, policies, or codes? Many of us immediately think 401k, 503b, or 529 plan. However, there is a lesser-known IRS tax code that can save you significantly when you invest in energy efficiency for your commercial building…

Have you taken time to think about how much the world has changed in the past 30 years? You are probably thinking, "Forget 30 years ago; the world from a year ago is almost unrecognizable to today." Sure, we need to wear masks and can't gather in large groups. However, 30 years ago, cell phones and the internet were just in their infancy. The pace of innovation in our society is dizzying.