Articles
After twelve years of experience in the business of sustainability consulting, energy-efficiency engineering, and construction project management, we are focusing all of those capabilities on tackling a single (enormous) challenge: helping educational and community institutions navigate the steps to climate neutrality.
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“It is easy to know that your meetings aren’t being productive, but knowing why is much harder. Learning what an effective meeting looks like, and how to run such a meeting, is such a valuable skill that I didn’t even know I needed.” — facilitation workshop participant
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“We are now doing capital planning more intentionally than ever, and sustainability has become a default factor in those projects.” —Mary Fischer, manager of sustainability programs
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As the coronavirus shutdown has threatened nonprofits’ funding, opportunities to find cost savings are more important than ever. Simultaneously, Boston-based nonprofit institutions are striving to meet the City’s carbon neutrality goals. But installing energy-saving measures can require investments that many nonprofit institutions are unable to make. The Tax-Exempt Lease Program, or TELP, through the Boston Industrial Development Financing Authority, makes these investments possible.
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Whether through turnkey energy solutions or owner’s project management, GreenerU’s eye for detail, customer-first service, and communication style keeps the trains running on time.
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Wildfires, hurricanes, floods, heat waves, drought, and other severe weather conditions have made life more difficult in nearly every corner of the United States. What can we do now to protect ourselves from the elements during a pandemic?
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COVID-era building operations have included suggestions such as increasing filtration or ventilation rates “as much as systems will allow.” But as the colder weather approaches, how will facilities manage energy use—and costs?
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The U.S. EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager® provides a platform for benchmarking the energy performance of all kinds of commercial buildings. Energy managers on college campuses, however, often face a challenge in both accurately metering energy at the building level and categorizing buildings under the Portfolio Manager framework of use types. Now the new Higher Education Benchmarking Initiative seeks to collect campus-wide data from colleges and universities across North America—and offer energy scorecards in return.
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Sustainability and facilities professionals are uniquely positioned to lead campus efforts to encourage safe behaviors among campus occupants during this pandemic. What is your plan to keep students, staff, and faculty engaged in prolonged physical distancing and other measures to prevent coronavirus surges?
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The coronavirus pandemic is the largest global health crisis of the past century. The American death toll hit a terrifying 100,000 milestone on May 27, 2020. While the curve is gradually flattening and businesses are reopening, history shows that resurgences can create new waves of outbreaks, leading to more periods of shutdown and delayed economic recovery. What can schools do to prevent the spread of coronavirus via HVAC maintenance and behavior change initiatives?
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Strategic plans do a great job of helping organizations gain alignment and focus on common outcomes. But one of the trickiest parts about developing a plan is actually implementing it. Here at GreenerU, we put ourselves to the test. This is Part II of a two-part article.
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GreenerU to replace an obsolete energy management system for the Newton-based private school for undergraduate and graduate degrees in psychology
Program funds still available for Massachusetts nonprofit institutions
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Coronavirus has left buildings on campus vacant in places that were designed to be operating 24/7. When spring turns to summer and heat and humidity kick in, do you have a transition plan to prevent maintenance issues on campus? Are you staying ahead of potential health hazards associated with stagnant water?
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Social distancing in the wake of COVID-19 does not mean we can’t still connect. Here are the best ways to make use of remote conferencing.
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Strategic plans do a great job of helping organizations gain alignment and focus on common outcomes. But one of the trickiest parts about developing a plan is actually implementing it. Here at GreenerU, we put ourselves to the test. This is Part I of a two-part article.
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Thanks to help from GreenerU, the MSPCA’s Angell Medical Center in Jamaica Plain is set to receive the first alternative energy certificates for a large air-source heat pump system—one of several ways energy-efficient technologies are sound financial investments. Maybe now is a good time for your school to make the switch.
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Whether you have skin in the game or able to play a neutral role, as facilitator, you are there to help guide the room from Point A to Points B, C, and D. You are in charge of keeping the momentum going, ensuring you have created an inclusive agenda, and helping your group meet their goals. So, what do you, as facilitator, do to ensure your meetings are productive?
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Nearly 4 million people participated in worldwide climate strikes last September, in solidarity with 17-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who made the trek to New York City across the Atlantic by boat. It’s no coincidence that teenagers are some of the most engaged climate activists today. How are their schools rising to the challenge?
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Campus operators know when a heating system is inefficient. But what happens when we humans are inefficient? Here are four ways to address productivity challenges in the workplace.
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Massachusetts may enact the first state-wide legislation requiring that buildings comply with minimum energy performance standards. Find out if your institution's buildings are affected.
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The much-anticipated new version of STARS—Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System—has launched, and there are some new opportunities for points by reviewing the data before submitting to AASHE. A panel discussion at the AASHE conference in Spokane that GreenerU moderated helped participants figure out how to tackle one of the most important tools available for measuring sustainability on college campuses.
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AICUM and GreenerU launch GreenerMass, a finance program for schools, health centers, and other nonprofits to kickstart savings from energy-efficiency measures requiring no upfront capital costs. Past program participants are saving upwards of $100,000 annually on energy costs following payback period. Here's how to find out if your institution is eligible.
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Does the word “networking” boost your energy level? Or does it give you social anxiety? When it comes to large conferences, people’s comfort levels with socializing can vary. No matter where you land on the conference trepidation scale, we have a few tips to help you get the most out of AASHE—and any other networking events you might have on your calendar.
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Many campus sustainability offices are challenged with the urgency of climate change against the pace of academia. So why are so many sustainability efforts still trapped in meetings that resemble the undead?
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Large-scale sustainability action doesn’t happen by accident. It takes collective action and organized effort to make an impact.
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