glass building exteriors

Buildings

An Unconventional Look at an Unconventional Building

Welcome to the new headquarters of the Hilton Foundation. At first glance, you’d notice solar panels on the roof, abundant windows and daylight, and accessible natural outdoor spaces. But what really sets this high-performance building apart can’t be seen quite so literally.

Getting Big Investment to Retrofit Small Buildings

In April 2011, we Talked Small Building Retrofit Finance after a finance workshop held in Boulder by Rocky Mountain Institute and the Northwest Energy Efficiency Association (NEEA). Now that nearly three years have passed, what, if anything, has changed in retrofit financing for small commercial buildings?

Off-Grid Sweat Equity

Prior to moving to Colorado this past summer to work at RMI, I lived in British Columbia, Canada, in a cabin my girlfriend and I built. We started building it three years ago, and did a lot of the work while completing our graduate degrees.

RMI Releases Deep Retrofit Value Practice Guide

Highly energy-efficient buildings offer more than just a low utility bill. They also often promise gains in employee productivity, better retention, improved occupant health, lower maintenance costs, increased occupancy, and higher lease-up and sales rates, among others.

A Multi-Pronged Approach to Building Efficiency

Five years ago RMI embarked on a body of work to advance what we call deep retrofits, energy-efficiency retrofits that save 50 percent or more of a building’s energy consumption. Half a decade later, it’s time to reflect on how far we’ve come with our Retrofit Initiative … and how far we still have to go.