The General Services Administration (GSA) has completed the restoration of the Hipolito Garcia Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in San Antonio. The renovated building is expected to achieve a 38.8 percent reduction in energy usage, which will result in energy cost savings of approximately $87,515 per year.

While most efficiency retrofits take place because the building owner is looking to reduce energy costs, government policy and incentives are a growing influence. According to a report from Pike Research, the combination of government policies and financial incentives will drive rapid growth in retrofits over the remainder of the decade.

The global market for energy efficient housing is forecast to expand rapidly over the remainder of the decade, growing from an annual market value of $14 billion in 2012 to almost $84 billion in 2020, according to a report from Pike Research, a part of Navigant’s Energy Practice.

Aztec Energy, a member of the Danfoss Group and provider of energy management and controls solutions for the food retail industry, provided refrigeration controls training for California’s successful EnergySmart Jobs program.

Upgrading “the most famous office building in the world” is no small task, and Anthony Malkin, president of Malkin Holdings, owner of the Empire State Building, has tackled it head on. It’s important to know “what will matter and what will not,” he stated, as he detailed progress to date at the 23rd annual North American Energy Efficiency Forum, sponsored by Johnson Controls and the United States Energy Association.

Blue Earth Inc., an energy efficiency and renewable energy services company, announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Castrovilla Inc. d/b/a Blue Earth Energy Management Services™ (BEEMS™), is in the process of implementing an additional $1.1 million in utility-funded refrigeration rebate incentives.

Regardless of the motivation, whether it’s to save the environment or save money, energy efficiency retrofits represent a rapidly growing market. According to a new report from Pike Research, this global market will expand from $80.3 billion in 2011 to $151.8 billion by 2020.

Honeywell has announced a water metering and infrastructure renewal program with the Western Virginia Water Authority in Roanoke, Va. The plan will upgrade water meters across the Authority’s customer base and improve energy efficiency at its facilities.