Smart buildings help landlords save.

As the heated battle for the world's last remaining oil and natural gas reserves rages on, those individuals who want to safeguard their wallets must take steps toward ending our fossil fuel addiction.

While many blame "gas-guzzling" SUV drivers for our unsustainable dependency on fossil fuels, most people are unaware that the typical commercial office building accounts for 65% of total electricity consumption in the U.S, 36% of total energy and 30% of greenhouse-gas emissions (1).

If the recent swell of crude oil prices does not push building managers to invest in energy saving technologies, perhaps the government will.

Last year, Congress passed the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to provide tax incentives for buildings that "go green."

The policy calls for deductions for energy-efficient commercial buildings. The provisions allow a tax deduction for energy-efficient commercial buildings that reduce annual energy and power consumption by 50% compared to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) 2001 standard.

The deduction would equal the cost of energy-efficient property installed during construction, with a maximum deduction of $1.80 per square foot of the building. Additionally, a partial deduction of 60 cents per square foot would be provided for building subsystems. (2)

Current fuel costs, the global warming effect, energy security and common sense dictate that we should stop "gas-guzzling," commercial buildings and convert them green.

Optimum Applied Systems' team of engineers can transform any outdated, energy-squandering building into an eco-friendly Smart Building by integrating an interoperable Lonworks system.

The Lon protocol provides the ideal solution to complete building system integration--from HVAC to lighting, from security to elevator control and overall energy management.

The benefits of utilizing energy-saving technologies are far-reaching. The New York Times explains that developers who invest the "2 to 5 percent [additional cost of building green] ... can get higher rents and sales prices (3)."

A report to California's Sustainable Building Task Force, based on LEED (a Green Building ranking system) buildings in the State of California, states that "an upfront investment of 2% in green building design, on average, results in life cycle savings of 20% of the total construction costs-more than ten times the initial investment (4)."

Research from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates "tenants can save about 50 cents per square foot each year through strategies that cut energy use by 30%.

This can represent a savings of $50,000 or more in a five-year lease on 20,000 square feet (5)."

The payoff of a "green building" is not merely monetary. Upon installing a Lonworks Smart Building system, one might envision the Jetson's and their efficient automated future. Imagine walking into your office: the lights turn on; the air-conditioning instantly starts cooling the room, your computer is logged in and downloading the day's emails while a fresh cup of coffee rests on your desk.

Employing Smart Building technology allows for a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, single point control over a building's systems and cost savings. The futuristic conveniences dreamed up decades ago are finally today's reality.

(1) The Economist. "Rise of Green Buildings." Dec. 2, 2004

(2) http://www.energy.gov/taxbreaks.htm

(3) Pogrebin, Robin. New York Times. "Putting Environmentalism on the Urban Map." May 17, 2006.

(4) Green Building Fact Sheet. Available: http:// www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=871

(5) Ibid.