DOE Launches Initiative To Boost Efficiency of Commercial Buildings

The U.S. Dept. of Energy recently launched its Commercial Real Estate Energy Alliance (CREEA), a collaboration of commercial real estate owners and operators who will work together and with DOE to reduce energy consumption by commercial buildings. The undertaking will link the real estate community with research and technology emerging from DOE national laboratories. The group will serve as a national forum in which best practices in energy efficiency are documented and publicized and in which peers can share practical experiences and insights, says the Building Owners and Managers Association International, which also is involved in the group. The alliance will also be a collective buying voice to influence suppliers of building materials to create more energy-efficient equipment. More information is available at www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/commercial_initiative/real_estate.html. CREEA is part of DOE’s Net-Zero Energy Commercial Building Initiative.