We've been talking about the steps property owners and managers can take to improve the energy efficiency of commercial and industrial buildings. Now let's take a step further and discuss the bigger picture: transforming buildings for high performance and what that means. First, why is it important to improve building performance? According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 47% of all greenhouse gas emissions are from existing buildings. In New York City, buildings make up 80% of our carbon emissions. From a global and local perspective, reducing energy consumption in buildings is imperative for a sustainable future. So when property owners and managers transform an existing building into one that's high performance, what does that mean? Essentially, it means doing more with less. High-performance buildings are energy efficient, and therefore, easier and more affordable to operate and maintain. They provide healthier and more comfortable workspaces, making them more attractive to tenants and more desirable to own. You can transform your properties into high-performance buildings by focusing on strategies, technologies and expertise to save energy, water and building materials. When it comes to developing and implementing your energy efficiency plan, the Con Edison Green Team can become a valuable and trusted partner. You can receive rebates, incentives and technical expertise from our Commercial and Industrial (C&I) Energy Efficiency Program that will help you lower capital investment in energy efficiency upgrades for your building. If you commission a Level 3 energy audit through the program, for example, you could save up to 50% (or up to $67,000). You can realize significant savings on high efficiency gas and electric equipment including lighting and lighting controls, HVAC systems, boilers/furnaces, motors and variable frequency drives through the C&I Equipment Rebate Program. You can even save on improvements to chiller and/or refrigeration systems, industrial processes, compressed air systems or other cost-effective, energy-efficient technologies with incentives from our Custom Program. Additionally, you will get access to our Market Partners, a network of 547 pre-approved and specially trained energy efficiency contractors, distributors and other energy professionals who will help you transform your building and make sure the work is done right. Now is the time to join the transformation to high-performance buildings. Learn more at the Con Edison 2012 Energy Efficiency Summit on May 1 at the New York Hilton. For more information about the Summit visit www.conEdsummit.com. The Con Edison Green Team has an energy efficiency program available for almost everyone. To learn more about the C&I program or to find out which program is right for you, call the Green Team at 1-877-860-6118 or visit www.conEd.com/greenteam. Join the discussion on LinkedIn (Con-Edison-Commercial-Industrial), Facebook (ConEd Green Team C&I), Twitter (ConEd Green Team C&I) and YouTube (ConEd Green Team C&I). David Pospisil is program manager of Con Edison's Commercial & Industrial Energy Efficiency Program, New York, N.Y.