Beijing's Olympic Building Boom Becomes a Bust
from Los Angeles Times
"Empty," says Jack Rodman, an expert in distressed real estate, as he points from the window of his 40th-floor office toward a silver-skinned prism rising out of the Beijing skyline. "Beautiful building, but not a single tenant. Beijing went through a building boom before the 2008 Summer Olympics that filled a staid communist capital with angular architectural feats that grace the covers of glossy design magazines. Now, six months after the Games ended, the city continues to dazzle by night, with neon and floodlights dancing across the skyline. By day, though, it is obvious that many are "see-through" buildings, to use the term coined during the Texas real estate bust of the 1980s. More

More Efficient Electricity Usage Could Cut U.S. Energy Use by 30 Percent
from Metering.com
If the energy efficiency across the U.S. was equivalent to that of the top performing states, the nation could save 1.2 million GWh, equivalent to 30 percent of its annual electricity use, according to a new report from the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI). More

Workplace Efficiency is a Top Priority
from The Tennessean
In times of economic uncertainty, there is typically an increase in scrutiny on corporate expenses and organizations begin to look for ways to create greater efficiencies. When reviewing overhead expenses, real estate line items are likely to rise to the top. Tenants are looking for ways to operate with fewer square-feet, while landlords and developers look for ways to remain competitive in the market to draw and retain tenants. When looking at the issue from both tenant and landlord perspectives, there are ways for businesses to find answers to both quantitatively and qualitatively address their bottom line. Though the goal may be to decrease out-of-pocket expenses, of top concern should also be keeping employees happy and productive while sending the right message to customers and clients. Creating operational efficiencies and an attractive work environment for employees and tenants can be most effectively addressed through a formal analysis of the workplace. More

London Toppled by Hong Kong as Most Expensive City for Offices
from Bloomberg
London lost its ranking as the world’s most expensive city for offices in 2008, supplanted by Hong Kong and Tokyo for the first time in nine years. Falling rents in the U.K. capital combined with the pound weakening against the euro brought occupancy costs for prime offices in London’s West End down 23 percent to 1,403 euros (US$1,783) per square meter annually, New York-based property broker Cushman & Wakefield Inc. said in a report. That compares with 1,743 euros per square meter in Hong Kong and 1,649 euros in Tokyo. More

One-in-Five Workers Are Late to Work at Least Once a Week, Survey Finds
from Yahoo! Finance
Does your morning routine typically include hitting the snooze button and scrambling to get out the door? A recent CareerBuilder.com survey found that 20 percent of workers said they arrive late to work at least once a week, up from 15 percent in last year's survey. One-in-ten (12 percent) said they are late at least twice a week. This survey was conducted among more than 8,000 workers between Nov. 12 and Dec. 1, 2008. More

Conserve Energy for Buildings with Low-cost Steps
from Buildings.com
Welcome to 2009—with a recession, a federal government stimulus package, reductions in capital budgets and increases in utility costs. While this may not be the perfect storm, it will certainly be an interesting, challenging year. We can pull the covers over our heads and hope for good news, or we can get back to basics and do something about our energy consumption. More

GE to Build First 'Ecomagination Centre' at Masdar City
from Modern Power Systems
Masdar has announced that GE will be an anchor partner in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi. The two companies have outlined plans to house a new Ecomagination Centre, focused on sustainable business solutions and to form a broader R&D relationship that will support the development and deployment of new and innovative technologies. The centre is part of a multi-faceted strategic partnership signed by Mubadala and GE in July 2008. More

Towers in Manhattan Gather Heat for Power
from The New York Times
Later this year, a double-rigged crane will hoist a giant power turbine part way up One Penn Plaza, a black monolithic skyscraper next to Madison Square Garden. When the natural gas-powered generator on the 12th floor starts, it will not only produce some 6.2 megawatts of electricity—enough to power up to half the 57-floor building on a busy day—but it will also siphon off excess steam and use it to help heat and cool the 37-year-old skyscraper. More

Cost and Environmental Concerns Push U.S. Business Leaders to Become More Energy Efficient
from CNN
As U.S. business leaders strive to be more energy-efficient in order to save money and reduce their companies' impact on the environment, a majority believe information technology products can help their businesses become more green, according to a recent survey conducted by Zogby International for Cisco. The survey also found that nearly one in three U.S. business leaders believe their environmental strategies will be unaffected by the current economic downturn. More

A Zero-Emissions City in the Desert
from Technology Review Online
The first hints of the project are visible. A white wall stretches through the desert, like a chalk line on a dusty playing field. A bus with darkened windows stirs a low cloud, ferrying workers past a cluster of steel cranes, two portable drilling rigs, and a stand of concrete columns sprouting rust-colored rebar. A tall wire fence guards rows of solar panels mounted on concrete pads. More