BOOTLE, UNITED KINGDOM -- A new Asda supermarket in a Liverpool suburb that diverts 95 percent of its operational waste and slashes greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent has been awarded an "excellent" green rating from the British Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology.

MENLO PARK, Calif. -- HID Laboratories has officially launched its SmartPod Luminaires, a lighting solution that mates IT with high-tech design and energy efficient performance, the firm says.

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.

Imagine if you walked into a grocery store, chose the food you want (no price tags), took it home and then, at the end of the month, got the bill in the mail. "That's essentially what we are doing with electricity and natural gas right now," says Dan Reicher, who heads energy and climate policy at Google, which is aiming to change that.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The Santa Clara, Calif.-based data center has become the first building in the city to earn a LEED-Gold certification.

Highlights from the 20th Annual Energy Efficiency Forum, sponsored by Johnson Controls and the United States Energy Association, include a look at the brainpower at the Department of Energy, the greening of Dallas and the paradox of energy efficiency.

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.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- It is imperative for society to move to solid-state lighting to save money in the built environment and lessen the impacts to the broader environment -- but in the U.S. it may take a policy change to force the nation to use more sustainable lighting, say Carnegie Mellon researchers.

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.

China is looking to build 10,000 green hotels in the next three-and-a-half years, starting with 1,000 before 2009 closes and upping the ante each year through 2012.

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.