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I'm not surprised LA is on top. You can usually turn off the thermostat here and just open the windows to let the breeze blow through and still be comfortable- even in the peak of winter or summer. I've never experienced the kind of chilly over-air conditioned climate control here that I've experienced in the Northeast and South when they overcompensate for the summer heat and humidity.
In other words, its easier to get away with installing super-efficient low energy HVAC here because it just never needs to be cranked full blast anyway.
This really has nothing to do with being able to open a window or saving electricity through not using it.
EnergyStar is given to buildings that adapt energy saving technology and mechanicals that are lab proven to help in being efficient, insulating, etc.
Updated and checked HVAC, superior insulation, water control measures, high quality energy efficient lighting, etc. etc. LA is very good at those metrics because the area has more precarious energy and water supplies than many other areas.
Near the ocean in LA is nice, but once you get inland like downtown or eastwards it can get HOOOT in the summer. Every time I've been in LA downtown for business, etc. during the summer months it's been very hot, many times around 90 degrees. Usually the AC is always on in the office buildings.
Anyway, LA, San Fran and DC make sense, NYC and then to a degree Chicago have just that sheer number of larger buildings that have the time and money to go for EnergyStar. I think Atlanta is the standout here.
Location: That star on your map in the middle of the East Coast, DMV
8,128 posts, read 7,560,868 times
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Originally Posted by Chicago60614
DC is because of the federal government for the most part. We own and manage a lot of buildings in the area, and the GSA's are big on pushing for clean and green because it lets congress feel good about itself and put out press releases that the federal government is operating office space in energy efficient, green blah blah blah why aren't you.
Lol everything done well in the DC area is always "because of the federal gov." Do you know how many buildings in the DC metro that aren't federal government buildings?
Understood, so do you think that warm weather/climate of South Fla has nothing to do with it?
Climate wouldn't have anything to do with it actually.
We simply don't have the demand for LEED certified and energy independent buildings here in Southeast Florida yet.
Most buildings that have those features will be townhomes with solar panels on the roof, office buildings with solar panels or wind turbines, or any other form of energy generation (electrical wiring to fast currents/water or electric generators). Some even have energy conserving glass panels.
These features in residential buildings are for the green/clean savvy (pretty much every single city in California and the Pacific Rim of the United States) or for powerful corporations that are seriously trying to earn a Class AA designation (I believe, in office space, the highest quality) and become energy independent. The benefits to it is that you're about to manipulate your own power usage/energy source, your bills and your buildings efficiency will be extremely high.
I'm not surprised by New York because it's a no brainer that it'll rise in those ranks rapidly. Most buildings in New York are very old and to renovate them and make them LEED certified would be a wastage of money. However, with that said, the grand majority of the office space in New York as well as several residential products are LEED certified and it'll be rising those ranks once those come online.
Downtown Miami's office space is at 12 million square feet, the entire metropolitan area is only 46 million square feet (the size of Downtown Houston or Downtown Philadelphia, slightly larger but it's two downtowns versus an entire 6 million metropolis).
Bulk of the buildings in Southeast Florida, the grand majority, are residential, particularly condominium. No, absolutely not, they wont feature the luxury of LEED certification (which slant mostly businesses/office space), that's still a "new" concept to residentials anyhow.
Last edited by Trafalgar Law; 04-10-2014 at 09:34 PM..
LA is recognized for leadership in energy efficiency - Los Angeles Recognized for Leadership in Energy Efficiency, Better Buildings Challenge | Department of Energy "As part of the Obama Administration’s efforts to work with state and local governments to deploy smart policies that drive investment and create jobs, the Energy Department today recognized the city of Los Angeles, Calif., for its leadership in the Department’s Better Buildings Challenge – helping the city save on energy costs and cut greenhouse gas emissions."
LA lures major environmental convention (U.S. Green Building Council) - Los Angeles Lures Large Convention from San Diego | Los Angeles Business Journal "Rick Fedrizzi, chief executive of the Green Building Council, said the organization made the switch to Los Angeles because the city is the largest hub in the nation for buildings with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification.
"Home to 268 Leed-certified commercial buildings, 1,431 Leed-certified residential units, and more municipal Leed-certified square footage than any other city, Los Angeles is the perfect place to convene the world’s leading green building conference and expo,†Fedrizzi said.""
A lot of this though to Red's point likely has to do with age of building (NYC or Boston or Philly etc have lost of old building stock even in the core).
Does anyone have a list of major Gold/Platinum buildings under way/just completed?
Honestly based on the amount of sheer construction over the last two decades would have expected places like Atlanta (which did do well on the list), DC (again high), DFW (not on the list), Seattle (not on the list), and Houston (lower than I would have expected) to be among the top. With places like NYC and Chicago which continued to build at high volumes as well.
Location: That star on your map in the middle of the East Coast, DMV
8,128 posts, read 7,560,868 times
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Originally Posted by kidphilly
Interesting list
LA and Atlanta stand out a bit
A lot of this though to Red's point likely has to do with age of building (NYC or Boston or Philly etc have lost of old building stock even in the core).
Does anyone have a list of major Gold/Platinum buildings under way/just completed?
Honestly based on the amount of sheer construction over the last two decades would have expected places like Atlanta (which did do well on the list), DC (again high), DFW (not on the list), Seattle (not on the list), and Houston (lower than I would have expected) to be among the top. With places like NYC and Chicago which continued to build at high volumes as well.
Dallas is 7th on the list, but I was looking to see if Seattle would be there too.
DC is because of the federal government for the most part. We own and manage a lot of buildings in the area, and the GSA's are big on pushing for clean and green because it lets congress feel good about itself and put out press releases that the federal government is operating office space in energy efficient, green blah blah blah why aren't you.
Almost every new residential high-rise in the D.C. area is LEED something so I don't follow you here. The government doesn't build residential buildings except housing projects and they stopped that a long time ago.
LA is recognized for leadership in energy efficiency - Los Angeles Recognized for Leadership in Energy Efficiency, Better Buildings Challenge | Department of Energy "As part of the Obama Administration’s efforts to work with state and local governments to deploy smart policies that drive investment and create jobs, the Energy Department today recognized the city of Los Angeles, Calif., for its leadership in the Department’s Better Buildings Challenge – helping the city save on energy costs and cut greenhouse gas emissions."
LA lures major environmental convention (U.S. Green Building Council) - Los Angeles Lures Large Convention from San Diego | Los Angeles Business Journal "Rick Fedrizzi, chief executive of the Green Building Council, said the organization made the switch to Los Angeles because the city is the largest hub in the nation for buildings with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification.
"Home to 268 Leed-certified commercial buildings, 1,431 Leed-certified residential units, and more municipal Leed-certified square footage than any other city, Los Angeles is the perfect place to convene the world’s leading green building conference and expo,” Fedrizzi said.""
Agreed! L.A. is doing some really great things. D.C. will probably pass L.A. in the next two years on this list. I hope every city in the nation will strive to be high on this list. We only have one planet.
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D.C. will probably pass L.A. in the next two years on this list. I hope every city in the nation will strive to be high on this list. We only have one planet.
