Timed to coordinate with Earth Day, BOMA International, Washington, DC, recently released its top 10 ways for building owners and managers to reduce energy consumption. The no- or low-cost strategies making the list are part of the BOMA Energy Efficiency Program (BEEP).

"The built environment accounts for 48% of greenhouse gas emissions in this country," says BOMA International chairman/chief elected officer Kurt Padavano, who's also COO of Advance Realty Group in Bedminster, NJ. "The good news is that there are many low- and even no-cost strategies that are proven to save energy and reduce emissions. And they are easy to implement and have the added benefit of often reducing building operation costs.

The list:

• Check that equipment is functioning as designed.
• Consider your cleaning options…team cleaning, occupancy sensors, coordination with security, day cleaning when the lights are already on.
• Encourage tenants to turn off equipment.
• Use high-efficiency LED Exit signs.
• Institute an energy-awareness program.
• Install monitor power management software.
• Change incandescents to CFL and HID.
• Harvest daylight (locate workstations needing high illumination adjacent to windows, for example).
• Evaluate after-hours usage.
• Adjust ventilation.