MIT Enterprise Forum on high-performance buildings

Sky High: Rising Energy Costs and the Growing Demand for High-Performance Buildings
Presented by the MIT Enterprise Forum
Sponsored by Puget Sound Energy

Date Wednesday, November 8, 2006
Time 5:00 reception, 6:00 dinner and panel
Location Bellevue Grand Hyatt Ballroom

Energy costs are a top business expense line item, and some companies are turning this to their advantage. Cool technologies are revolutionizing energy use, combating global warming, and giving rise to a hot new industry.

An estimated 35% of U.S. electricity is used in commercial buildings. Owners and tenants spend $120 billion a year on energy, and as much as half of that is wasted. Buildings cause 6 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases annually -- four times as much as cars -- but change is in the air.

Super-efficient buildings create a competitive advantage for their owners and tenants. Customers and investors are asking about carbon footprints, and a growing list of major companies -- from AMD to Wal-Mart -- are "going green." Buildings are getting smarter. Advanced lighting systems harvest daylight, while new solar technologies make the whole building produce power. LEED certification is boosting property values.

Smart buildings are potentially the next big software and networking play. Silicon Valley VC firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers has pledged to invest $100 million in green technology.

Can efficiency improvements and renewable energy pay for themselves? Do lenders value the intangible benefits? What brilliant technologies are on the horizon?

Join us for a very engaging and thought provoking evening as our moderator explores this topic with a panel of experts. You’ll hear first hand about the opportunities, realities, and technologies.

Moderator--Nik Blosser, President of Sustainable Industries Journal publisher Celilo Group
Panel--
Ash Awad, VP Energy Services, McKinstry
Michael Brambley, Ph.D., Energy Sciences & Technology Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Dave Williams, CEO, Shorebank Pacific

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