The short answer: it depends. The practical answer: cost is driven by sequencing, scope, timing, and total lifecycle economics. If you optimize building performance first, the eventual cost to decarbonize per square foot goes down.
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GreenerU innovation helps Roxbury Tenants of Harvard, a leading tenant organization, improve air quality, lower energy bills, and tackle climate change with a creative and award-winning Boston heat recovery project.
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GreenerU is thrilled to announce that our heat recovery project, in partnership with Elevated Design, Inc., for the Roxbury Tenants of Harvard's Levinson Tower won the Building Decarb Intervention category of the 2025 BE+ Green Building Showcase awards!
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Using “waste heat,” or heat generated from various campus processes that is usually lost to the environment, as a source of energy is a bit like finding a twenty dollar bill in your pocket that you forgot was there: it’s a resource you’ve always had. You just need to capture it to use it.
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What does decarbonization, climate action, or sustainability have to do with the mission or daily operations of a children’s museum or a community library? As it turns out, more than you might think. For these nonprofit organizations, the culture of sustainability has become woven into the fabric of how they serve their communities.
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As much as we don’t want to admit it, failure does happen. Whether equipment failure comes as a surprise or as a predictable result of age, having a plan can make or break the long-term success of your response.
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Comparing apples to oranges has never worked, and energy systems costs are no different. While it can be tempting to only consider upfront costs in a decision, looking deeper will provide a better understanding of the financial impact an energy system will have.
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Decarbonization is a tall order for any institution, but it’s especially tough for cash-strapped nonprofits. But for some organizations, decarbonization is a key part of a sustainable mission. Understanding decarbonization terms and approaches is more crucial than ever to secure approval and funding for projects, particularly as you leverage your project plans to inspire individual and institutional donors.
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Electrifying heating and cooling systems to decarbonize a building by installing heat pumps is a common and effective approach. This article explains how heat pumps work, without any engineering jargon.
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Higher education institutions have been taking climate action for decades, but decarbonization is a major and complex undertaking. How should your institution prepare? How should you update your climate action plan to carry forward newly emerging decarbonization goals? And how do you make progress on climate action during uncertain times? This webinar sought to answer these questions.
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Federal incentives have been offered to many energy-efficiency, electrification, and renewable energy projects in the past few years. This article provides timely insight into what is happening to these clean energy tax credits in federal legislation.
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An “essential resource,” GreenerU’s Path to Platinum guidance helped this major research university navigate their potential to maximize their sustainability activities and earn their first AASHE STARS Platinum rating.
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BERDO, BUEDO, LBER, oh my! The writing on the wall is clear: building performance standards for clean energy and emissions are taking shape nationwide. Here is a guide to the many acronyms cropping up in conversations about emissions reductions.
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Boston’s BERDO regulations can provide a model for building owners everywhere on how to approach the challenge of decarbonization using zero-over-time plans.
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With Alternative Compliance Payments (ACPs) beginning this year for Boston building owners, it’s important to know your current and projected emissions when planning to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. New BERDO calculations changes may have changed your roadmap—here’s how to make sure your institution is prepared.
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With never a dull moment—and ever-present curiosity—one of GreenerU’s veteran engineers, Chris Lewis, understands a people-centric approach to building energy solutions.
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When we talk about decarbonizing buildings, the primary goal is clear: eliminate operational carbon by transitioning away from fossil fuels in favor of high-efficiency electric systems powered by renewables. Less frequently highlighted are the co-benefits of building decarbonization.
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