The region’s investment in a green convention center is paying off. Pittsburgh-based consulting firm, evolveEA performed a ground-breaking study to evaluate the David L. Lawrence Convention Center’s (DLCC) operations, marking the first time a prominent LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certified building has undergone a comprehensive evaluation for green operations, which has culminated in the facility becoming the first LEED Platinum convention center certified under the Existing Buildings Operations and Maintenance rating system. Christine Mondor, Principal... 

We may not realize it, but we rely on the process of benchmarking every day. Whether we’re in the market for a new car or simply choosing between cereal options, reviews and product information (think Consumer Reports, Angie’s List, and nutrition labels) help us analyze goods or services. Information shapes our decision making processes and is a powerful tool for consumers and businesses alike. The concept of benchmarking, a term commonly used in the design, construction and building operations industry, involves comparing building performance against industry standards... 

I bet you didn’t know that we are able to use a planet’s gravity as a slingshot to send things into space. It’s true. Spaceships regularly use Gravitational Assist in order to save fuel, time and expense on their journeys. Although not orbital mechanics, we have noticed an interesting phenomenon of gravitational assist with our green building clients. Green building initiatives, the tactile environmental representations of sustainable principles that house their employees round-the-clock, can be used to launch strategic sustainability pursuits and integrate sustainability... 

This study was commissioned by the Heinz Endowments in tandem with the David L. Lawrence Convention Center (DLCC) in Pittsburgh, and led by evolveEA as part of our Building in Operation Case Study for the DLCC. The purpose of the benchmarking study was understanding how increased demand for sustainability has affected the industry. The study’s focus is on the actions individual facilities are taking to address these demands while increasing their overall performance. We have gathered this information with the intention of sharing best practices and understanding the... 

Upon its completion in 2003, the David L. Lawrence Convention Center (DLCC) received LEED-NC Gold certification, was the world’s largest green building (at 1.5 million sq-ft), and was the first LEED certified convention center. Since its opening in 2004, the DLCC has generated more than $673 million in direct local spending1 to Pittsburgh businesses, much of which has resulted from events attracted by the DLCC’s sustainability focus. To capitalize on the support of the Convention Center’s operations, evolveEA and its consultant team was hired by the Heinz Endowments... 

Greening Existing Buildings on College Campuses | evolveEA Attending this year’s annual AASHE conference at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh supported our ongoing efforts in the realm of higher education, one of the leading sectors in sustainability thinking and implementation. We have been particularly interested in helping schools improve their overall performance by way of LEED certification for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (EBOM). The presentation above explores this concept in-depth, as a method of engaging college... 

Returning from the Food Marketing Institute’s Energy and Store Development Conference in Atlanta, I pondered the unique role that supermarkets play in our daily lives. Trends unveiled at the conference include a blurring of the lines between restaurant and store, as well a move away from hydrocarbons towards natural refrigerants, such as CO2, that cause no ozone depletion. This would be a welcome transition, as Keilly Whitman, Manager of the EPA’s Greenchill program, noted that a typical store’s refrigerant leakage alone has more environmental impact than the store’s... 

Buildings are the most ubiquitous form covering modern landscapes. Their pervasiveness presents a paradox—our built environment is both crucial to and a symbol of modernity—but also a major contributor to degradation that threatens future prosperity. Simultaneously, our buildings define and separate us as human, but require significant yet finite environmental resources. Buildings in the United States are responsible for consuming 70% of all electricity generated, and cover 50,000 square miles of land, an area equivalent to the state of Ohio. Over the past twenty years we’ve... 

Alcoa, a global leader in mining, refining and smelting Alumina, has been committed to corporate wide sustainability initiatives since the 1980’s. Alcoa began to report and actively reduce emissions as early as 1993 and has reduced absolute greenhouse gas emissions 37% as of 2010 against their 1990 baseline targets. They’ve won numerous global sustainability leadership awards and have begun to effectively implement strategic sustainability initiative across the corporation. The management staff at Alcoa’s corporate headquarters has similarly been committed to sustainable... 

Nobel Prize Winning economist Milton Friedman was famous for his statement that, “the business of business is business. “  He believed the best thing a company could do for society was to maximize its profits, and any other activities related to social or environmental causes were unnecessary and possibly detrimental to business and society. Yet, if you have been following the latest business and sustainability related news, you are probably inundated with daily headlines like: “Why Employee Engagement is Critical to Sustaining Sustainability”, “Private...