Better Buildings Challenge Comes to Denver

Phillip Saieg : Monday February 6, 2:24PM

In December of 2011, President Barack Obama announced that the United States will be upgrading the energy efficiency of America’s buildings because it is one of the fastest, easiest, and cheapest ways to save money, cut down on harmful pollution, and create good jobs right now. Issuing the challenge means reducing energy consumption in buildings by 20% by 2020, and doubling electricity generation from renewable sources by 2035. The Better Buildings Challenge program challenges CEOs, university presidents, state and local government leaders, and others to commit their organizations to lead in saving energy, saving money, and showcasing the best energy-saving strategies and their results.

Through the leadership of Mayor Michael Hancock, Greenprint Denver, the Alliance for Sustainable Colorado and Living City Block ‘Better Buildings Denver’ was born, committing the city of Denver’s entire building portfolio (over six million feet) to energy reduction goals, and challenging commercial building owners to do the same.

Better Buildings Denver challenges all commercial building types and uses to join in this movement for a more sustainable future.

“Even if the City takes every action possible to retrofit our buildings and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, 97 percent of emissions are still in the hands of the community and in need of a solution.  That is why we open this challenge up to our business partners to help us make Denver a world class city where everyone matters” said Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock

The Alliance Center is leading as one of the two local, commercial showcase Better Buildings Denver projects. Specifically, the Alliance Center is undertaking a major renovation project that aims to upgrade its systems, mobilize tenant behavior and cooperation to reduce resource consumption even further while improving tenant productivity and wellbeing, and improve lease performance. Current energy modeling of the building is targeting energy reductions of 50 percent. A key goal is to create a replicable framework for use in transforming other existing buildings and helping to shift the commercial real estate market toward significantly higher resource efficiency.

You are welcome to join us at the Alliance Center next Monday, February 13th at 11:00am for a press event featuring Mayor Michael B. Hancock who will announce Better Buildings Denver, with a reception to follow.

Author Bio:

Phillip comes to the Alliance with widespread management and green-building experience, most recently from a company called Think Design Build. Along with a bachelor’s degree in Theology and a bachelor’s degree in Communications, a green-building certification from CSU, and a LEED AP designation, Phillip is excited to put together his hands-on work experience and sustainability education to serve the Alliance and all its tenants. Since growing up just outside of Detroit and moving to Denver in 2001, Phillip has studied at Oxford University, taught high school in Kenya, and has led a wide variety of teams, ranging from youth construction projects in the United States, to medical work in the Peruvian Andes, to photo-journalism in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to children’s work in Uzbekistan.

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