Architects work at the inflection point between investors and users or - more candidly put - between people and power. Enlisted to create spaces from voids, architects are quite literally shaping the future of communities. The adage holds, ”with great authority comes great responsibility”. Historically, dollars have driven the development of neighborhoods and cities.

On March 21, 2022, the SEC passed a rule called “The Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors” by a 3-1 vote. If you are looking for some good sleeping material, the 490-page document can be found here. This rule could have significant implications for companies listed on the stock market.

It’s not surprising that one of the most significant issues facing our world is energy security. As the turbulent global political climate continues to affect energy assurances, finding ways to guarantee consistent energy at an affordable price and in an environmentally conscious manner is at the forefront of many change-makers.

No matter where your company is in its sustainability journey, there has never been a better time to get a handle on your carbon emissions. Whether you’re stepping into this space for the first time or want to continue leading the pack, below is a decision tree to help advance your path forward.

Bryan Newland, a citizen of the Bay Mills Indian Community (Ojibwe) in northern Michigan, stood up in front of a room full of mostly white men and said unapologetically, “the values, ethics, and wisdom you need to address climate change are alive and well within indigenous communities all across the country”. He went on to say, “We may not have a lot of advanced degrees (although some of us certainly do), but we know things”.

In Season 5 of the MicroVlogCast, we focus on helping companies understand why and how to begin producing a sustainability report.

As a result of COVID increasing our attention towards global health, we've heard a lot about improving Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ), despite not having new standards and little new technology for IEQ. At a recent ASHRAE conference, I listened to a keynote presentation in which the presenter said, “If we just maintained our buildings as they should be maintained, we'd see a dramatic improvement in IEQ.”

If you think of the major news stories of the past two years, some that come to mind include The Great Resignation, supply chain problems, chaotic energy prices, and genuine push for companies to be sustainable. Despite these stories being seemingly unrelated, there is a theme across all of them: Conscious Capitalism.

If your organization has already begun accounting for its Scope 1 and 2 emissions, it might be time to brave the next step: inventorying your Scope 3. In a recent report released last month, investment research firm MSCI listed the top ten ESG trends to consider in 2022. What was #1 on the list? “Corporates Pushing Corporates for Net-Zero Supply Chains.” That’s right–supply chain decarbonization.

While I'm not an expert in lighting controls, I interact with them frequently as a part of our commissioning work. Throughout my many years of designing and troubleshooting buildings' functionality, I have repeatedly inquired about the commissioning of lighting controls. Way back, the “only” lighting system was daylighting; candles didn't work all that well for many activities. The only “controls” were drapes and shades.

Did you ever get yelled at by your parents to "Turn the lights OFF!" when you were a kid? I did. As an energy engineer as an adult, I wish I could have shown my kid-self the calculations on how much it really costs to leave the lights on.

In addition to exploring the benefits of solar energy, Season 4 of the MicroVlogCast dove into the growing need for Integrative Design Services. Matt, our resident expert in LEED, WELL Building Standard, and regenerative design, discusses the importance of biophilia, democratizing design, and holistic design support earlier in the construction project.

To be at the forefront of climate and sustainability work is to envision an entire economic system that does not exist. Currently, CEOs are tasked with continual growth, keeping the lights on, and avoiding risks that upset operations. There isn't much room for envisioning or influencing an entire system, so sustainability solutions have traditionally been incremental and limited to existing frameworks.

Autumn is here. As the weather cools off and the days get shorter, the first thing I think of is our culture’s obsession with pumpkin spice. These days it seems like everything is pumpkin spice flavored – whiskey, cheerios, and even English muffins (I’m not joking). If there is one thing I wish more people thought of in the fall, it’s energy. Who are we kidding - if you read enough of these blogs, you’ll find all I think about is energy.

Mike and Matt host Season 4 of the MicroVlogCast and discuss the ins and outs of solar energy. Shot in front of the rooftop array on the Foresight headquarters in Grand Rapids, MI, they cover everything from additionality to net-metering to biomimicry - all in episodes under three minutes.

If 2020 was the year of hearing people talk about COVID19 constantly, 2021 is the year people are talking about inflation and the supply chain. It is hard to go through a day without hearing someone talk about supply chain issues or inflation. Unfortunately, the natural gas and electricity markets are suffering from price inflation as well.

After 45+ years of professional engineering practice, everything comes out perfect the first time, just like I expect... That's a lie (and you knew it as soon as you read it). We all know that NOTHING comes out perfect the first time, so why do we often act as though it were true?

Matt and Mike took to the roof last week to film Season 4 backdropped by our rooftop solar array. Before we roll out the entire season, here are a few of our favorite resources for understanding the present day landscape of solar energy and the eagerly anticipated future-innovations.

I live in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and our electricity provider rolled out a different way to bill residential customers this year. I kept hearing friends gripe about how Consumers Energy is increasing rates by 50%. As a professional who nerds out about energy, I was excited to hear others digging into electricity rates.

First thing I remind anyone trying to understand LEVEL Certification is that it is a sustainable product certification. By LEVEL’s definition, a product certification is not a sustainable building certification like LEED or sustainable company certification like B Corp; the scope of a product certification includes a product, building and a company.