Resiliency, Energy Efficiency Top Sustainability Focus for 2013

In an article at Greenbiz.com, Dan Probst, chairman of energy and sustainability services at Jones Lang LaSalle, a financial and professional services firm specializing in commercial real estate investment, indicates that resiliency and energy efficiency top the list for real estate development in the coming year. He suggests that there are more buildings that will seek green certification and more legislation that will encourage energy efficiency. 

Probst states "More than 28 billion square feet ─ about 40 percent of the country’s inventory ─ now use ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager to monitor and report energy performance. LEED-certified properties in the U.S. and 130 other countries topped the 2 billion-square-foot mark this summer, and the U.S. Green Building Council notes that another 2 million square feet is certified each day. On the public-sector side, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently announced plans to reduce energy by 20 percent at state-occupied buildings."

He predicts that the focus of real estate development will be:

1. Renewed interest in resilience;

2. Energy measurement and disclosure;

3. Smart grid investment;

4. Smart building investment; and

5. Acceptance of renewable energy.