The Energy Efficiency Exchange is the new ULI project endowed by Sir Stuart Lipton.  It will create a web exchange for industry leaders to access and share practical, current information and best practice around energy efficiency, particularly for existing buildings. As the preeminent, multidisciplinary real estate forum, ULI facilitates the open exchange of ideas, information and experience among local, national and international industry leaders and policy makers dedicated to creating better places. This initiative hopes to promote this open exchanging of ideas in one, easily accessed location.

We have held a workshop with sustainability practitioners and sent out a survey to all of our European members, to discover the best content structure and focus for the site. They helped to answer questions such as:

• How do you and your peers access information on energy use in buildings?
• What information do you need to achieve energy efficiency in your business?
• What issues need to be addressed that current practices do not enable?
• What would attract you to use the energy exchange site?

From this research, it was clear what would benefit the various users the most. As well as the ability to communicate across the web platform with other industry leaders, case studies of energy efficient retrofits and developments, research papers and policy overviews were also highlighted as key tools to develop a clear business case for energy efficiency and address those issues that until now have been lost in “green-wash and geek-speak!”.  The objective and transparent Energy Efficiency Exchange website has the potential to spread best practice ideas and promote the wider adoption of energy efficient urban development.

We are now looking for content to populate the initial site.  Do you have a case study on an energy efficient project that you would like to showcase on the site?  Do you have research that you would like to see published on the site to reach a wide audience? Would you like to promote your services?  The rolling Expert Panel will monitor the content on the site, which will automatically give credit to any of your material that appears on the site.

Contact Josie.Baum@uli.org for more information.