Efforts to increase buildings’ energy efficiency have moved beyond the “low-hanging fruit” stage, said industry leaders at the 2013 Building Energy Summit held on March 26 in Washington, D.C. While progress has been made on many fronts, advocates still face challenges in convincing building owners and developers to invest in sustainability.

Commercial real estate tenants and investors are increasingly explicit in recognizing that an energy-efficient asset produces stronger returns by lowering operating costs. However, information on whole-building energy performance is often unavailable, making it difficult for the market to distinguish between efficient and inefficient assets. Read about changes and progress being made in this area.