Utility Tracking and Benchmarking Blog | WegoBlog

The WegoWise office is abuzz today in anticipation of our homecity's own music festival, Boston Calling, this weekend. Music festivals continue to gain popularity around the world, with thousands of eventgoers streaming in to remote (and not-so-remote) locations to celebrate and listen to some tunes.  With such a concentration of people staying, partying, and doing the things people do, music festivals have an uphill struggle to avoid potentially serious environmental impacts.  Whether your a concerned citizen, an avid festival-goer, or planning your own Memorial Day "boombox, burgers and buds" backyard festival this weekend, take a look at our Friday links and get some knowledge!

Nationwide, approximately 33% of all housing stock is rental units, and in Boulder, CO, rental units represent almost 50% of all housing.  With such a significant portion of its housing rented out to tenants, multifamily residential buildings represent a tremendous opportunity for building owners in the city to reduce their energy use and cut down on monthly bills.  We’ve written before about the opportunities lying untapped in multifamily energy efficiency, now let’s take a look at what the folks in CO have come up with.

Whether you're looking to become a more informed citizen, or just looking to kill some time before five on a Friday, WegoWise has got you covered.  So peruse our best links, learn something new, and be sure to leave us some feedback in the comments!

I consider myself a pretty crafty guy, and as both a DIY-er and someone who cares about the impact I have on the environment,  “green DIY” is a term that I care about and identify with.  That’s why I get frustrated when, say, researching a blog post on green DIY leads me to post after post of can-tab bracelets and up-cycled mason jars.  While it’s true that up-cycled craft projects often make good use of post-consumer materials, true green DIY involves more than just a cute idea for reusing your old crocs. 

Green, Sustainable, Eco-Friendly?--How about Responsible? 
In the jumble of buzzwords that get tagged on to projects that incorporate elements of responsible design, what we should care about is just that: responsibility.   Truly green projects are those that, considering all aspects of a project, make design choices that prioritize the environment and human health along with form, function, and budget.  That’s why I encourage you to take a more holistic approach to your green crafting.  For inspiration, consider the case of green-building standards.

 
In a green-building rating system, such as the USGBC's LEED, project teams are awarded points for incorporating environmentally-conscious best practices into each aspect of their project.  Starting with the design of the final product, to the selection of raw materials, and continuing through the construction techniques and final finishes, project teams seeking certification points need to consider each element of their project to ensure that sustainable principles inform each stage of the project.  

This has been a tragic week for the Boston area. We would like to send our support to all of our readers and customers who live in the area. When we wrote this blog post, we were excited for the marathon; many of our team members went there to cheer people on. Fortunately, none of them were injured. Despite the unpleasant and dramatic events outside our doors, we're determined to continue doing the work we love.