CHICAGO, Ill. -- The owners of Sears Tower plan to ratchet up the efficiency strategies at the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, cut electricity use by 80 percent and construct a net-zero energy luxury hotel next door.

DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Water conservation, energy efficiency, retrofits and other eco-friendly initiatives yielded Baxter International Inc. a total of $11.9 million in environmental income, savings and cost avoidance for 2008, the diversified healthcare products firm said in its latest sustainability report.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Two new reports on the impacts of moving to a low-carbon economy show putting money toward energy efficiency, building retrofits and renewable energy projects can create 1.7 million new jobs, significantly more than the same investment in fossil fuel industries.

Chicago, Ill. -- Business and residential customers participating in the Commonwealth Edison Company's energy efficiency programs saved more than $20 million in utility costs in the past year, the power company said.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- An audit by U.S. Department Energy's Office of the Inspector General of seven facilities, including DOE headquarters, concluded that better management of IT resources could have saved at least $1.6 million in energy costs in fiscal year 2008.

About a year and a half ago, Ron Wilcox, the superintendent of schools in Madison County, North Carolina, had a big problem. Electricity bills for the district were 38 percent higher than budgeted. Since then, Wilcox has become an evangelist for efficiency and for renewable energy -- and he's willing to share the lessons he's learned.

HOUSTON, Texas -- Workers now average 435 square feet of space at the office and that area is greener than it used to be, but probably not much cleaner, according to a new study by the International Facility Management Association.

In April, the Clinton Climate Initiative, the Rocky Mountain Institute, Empire State Building owner Tony Malkin, the city of New York and project partners Jones Lang LaSalle and Johnson Controls Inc. unveiled their bold plan to green the iconic skyscraper -- a project that has proved a high level of energy savings can be captured cost effectively.

Now more than ever, building professionals from owners to engineers are looking for ways to stay competitive in today's challenging times. The GreenBuildingsNY 2009 conference next week in New York City features discussions with industry leaders and a showcase of green products and services to help professionals get ahead of the pack.

With the economic slowdown and the resulting need to be more efficient with both resources and costs, tenants are increasingly focused on the operating costs of buildings -- whether they are looking to relocate or remain in their current space. Going green provides a way for them to save money and the environment.

Timing is everything, and in greening buildings it's essential to understand the time it takes to communicate, process and respond to demands for change. Even more important is an understanding of the gaps in timing among those functions, because altering the delays is a way to leverage broader change in a system.

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. -- Managing water use is becoming increasingly important to commercial property owners, contractors, architects and engineers, and more than half say that water efficiency is an extremely important aspect of green building, according to a recent survey by McGraw-Hill Construction.

MENLO PARK, Calif. -- Energy management startup Hara Software Inc. has entered the market with a software-as-a-service corporate application that enables organizations to track their use of resources, energy efficiency and emissions systemwide -- and take steps to reduce them.