Cretech climate

In Search for Sustainable Materials, Developers Turn to Hemp

• As ballroom dancers twirl, and competitive Ping-Pong players swing their paddles in the French town of Croissy-Beaubourg, they are doing so in what some describe as the future of building construction. 
  • Details: Granted – Hemp is costlier than conventional building products, but it offers various benefits including addressing environmental issues, as well as reducing construction times by 20 to 30%.

A healthy building starts with better ventilation

For decades, we have failed to design our buildings with health as the primary focus. What comes next: The COVID-19 pandemic brought to light a fundamental design flaw of buildings – poor ventilation standards, and by virtue of implication, the health and wellbeing of the people that occupy them. For the first time in decades, this has presented an opportunity, and strong, positive momentum to resolve this. …

BCO releases new guide for greener offices

• The early update to its most recognised publication, ‘Guide to Specification’, responds to challenges emerging from the pandemic and the accelerating need for the built environment to address climate change.
  • Implications: The BCO’s latest guidelines contain a raft of measures to foster greener offices that are healthier for both occupiers – on the back of shifting workplace dynamics, as well as the planet.

Black Female Founder’s AI Platform Reduces Energy Waste And Is ESG-Focused

Reducing energy waste is big business: $33.28 billion in 2022, according to Fortune Business Insights.Broadening horizons: COI’s hardware-enabled software platform simplifies the identification of energy waste, and moreover, a portion of kilowatts saved can be allocated to low-income communities. This could serve as a catalyst for inspiration to other diverse, underrepresented groups to channel diversity through innovation. …

100+ Year Building Steam Practice Gets Artificial Intelligence Upgrade On Nantum OS

In NYC this past winter, steam charges increased ~10x in price (due to on-peak demand) each morning. Prescriptive Data’s Nantum OS has launched its latest smart building optimization program to combat steam demand charges for real estate owners using district steam and has proven to save thousands of dollars every week.

New Skyscraper, Built to Be an Environmental Marvel, Is Already Dated

One Vanderbilt, in the heart of New York City, is built to be especially climate friendly. But the design landscape and city rules have changed quickly. With the impending Local Law 97 set to come into force in 2024, owner/operators, developers, and other real estate industry stakeholders are increasingly getting prepared to address the city’s aggressive carbon emissions caps.Yes, but how will current development projects navigate the plethora of regulations, yet alone fare with even the mos…

Depreciating the built environment

We are at the beginning of a long period of crisis, or tension. The tension is between the need for buildings which minimize waste, energy use and carbon emission, and the environmental and financial cost of producing those buildings. The tradeoff: Using accounting principles as an analogy when describing the challenges facing the built environment offers a paradigm shift in thinking about the problem. …

Funding Slowdown? Not For Climate And Clean Energy Software

Discouraging news on the climate front is easy to find. Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels continue to rise. The “Doomsday Glacier” is disintegrating faster than predicted. And climate change is contributing to extinction risk for thousands of species. The case for optimism: When it comes to funding in this nascent sector, not all is doom and gloom. On the contrary, significant investment sums have been deployed into software tracking and carbon emissions reduction, and on fastening the trans…

Hardware investment is vital for decarbonising real estate

Venture capital has long favoured software. In 2021, VCs invested $290bn worldwide into software companies, according to data from Pitchbook. Hardware, meanwhile, attracted just $13bn.

Plans to dim City of London’s skyscrapers to save energy

Buildings in the City of London would be required to switch off or dim their lights at night under proposals submitted by the area’s governing body.