Retrofitting Industrial Ecology for Increased Profitability and Environmental Improvement

Retrofitting Industrial Ecology for Increased Profitability and Environmental Improvement

Industrial Ecology is the practice of making industrial systems operate more like natural systems. This involves less wastage and associated benefits in terms of profitability and environmental improvement. However, in order for these systems to work it is essential that those indstries involve are capable of beneficial interaction. This article asks whether, given the required interaction options, retrofitting of industrial ecology priniciples to exisiting industry has potential.

Top Green Design Firms, Building Team LEED APs and Green Contractors Ranked by Building Design & Construction Magazine

Each spring, Building Design & Construction (BD+C) editors survey the country’s largest AEC firms in the nonresidential building industry. Companies are ranked across six categories—Architects (50), Architect/Engineers (50), Engineers (50), Engineer/Architects (50), Contractors (80), and Construction Managers (20)—based on the volume of commercial, institutional, industrial, and multifamily residential building work completed in 2008. This year, in addition to publishing a list of the top 200 building team LEED APs, they have also published a ranking of the nation’s 150 largest green design firms and a list of 75 of the largest green contractors. The design firms are ranked on billings for work performed in-house. Contractors and construction managers are ranked on the value of construction put in place. For multi-year jobs, only work from the survey year applies.