Green Products & Technologies
Energy storage prompts a battery of precautions
In step with the projected surge in energy storage installations, fire safety advisors are actively working to help clean tech adopters understand and mitigate the risks.
CRE fosters all-in approach to decarbonization
Daunting net zero targets in the buildings sector are spurring an all-in approach to decarbonization that assigns roles to finance, engineering, management and operational teams.
Building electrification projects impart lessons
The business case for electrification works best when retrofits are synced with the end-of-life of existing mechanical equipment and/or asset repositioning plans
Multifamily leads uptake of EV charger funds
Multifamily landlords and condominium corporations have claimed more than a third of the funds the Canadian government has thus far allocated through its Zero Emissions Vehicle Infrastructure Program.
Rooftop solar photovoltaics spark safety advice
Rooftop solar PV installations pack a potentially lethal electrical charge, necessitating vigilant monitoring and maintenance of the many system components.
Global energy appetite eats up efficiency gains
The global buildings sector made some headway in curbing its energy appetite and output of greenhouse gas emissions last year, but is still off-pace to achieve the International Energy Agency's targets.
Range of CRE stakeholders demand ESG metrics
Canada’s leading commercial real estate players are increasingly turning to ESG metrics to track responsiveness to a range of emerging risks and business imperatives.
CRE awaits spinoffs of new provincial spending
Quebec and Ontario have announced investment incentives that could have implications for land deals and/or technologies and products that commercial real estate uses.
Canadian buildings scrutinized in OECD review
As part of a biennial review and benchmarking of Canada’s economic performance, a new OECD report looks at progress toward the interim 2030 target and 2050 goal for net-zero carbon emissions.
Market transformation beckons greenwashing
Greenwashing is tapping into a demonstrated consumer preference for products and services with low-carbon credentials and growing interest in ESG accountability.
Electricity grid capacity a 2030 imperative
Electricity grid capacity is critical to enable the buildings and transportation sectors to move away from fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Deep retrofit logistics trip up on key products
Few of the existing building technologies projected to help dramatically curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have yet conquered their market categories
Flammable refrigerants spark GHG reductions
Researchers and manufacturers have now done much of the work to prepare for the HFC phase-down, but codes and standards will need to catch up before a new generation of lower-GWP refrigerants can be used.
Greening your washroom for the good of the planet
Four tips for operating a more sustainable washroom in celebration of the International Day of Forests.
Business case assumptions evolve alongside ESG
Investors and lenders are expected to increasingly focus on the physical and transitional risks of climate change, in turn upending some conventional views of costs and value.
Canada’s clean energy efforts garner plaudits
The International Energy Agency commends Canada's targets and policies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and identifies it as a potential key player in the transition to low-carbon energy sources
Open protocols could nurture organic smart city
Abandonment of the Sidewalk Labs project proposed for Toronto is unfortunate, but it serves as an important lesson that building a smart city from the top down is hard.