Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) president Grant Seiffert recently said the quest for green buildings is not a lofty enough goal for those involved in the development of technologies to serve current and future generations. "The goal shouldn't be green buildings, it should be a sustainable economy where services are delivered to rural poor as easily as they are to urban rich," Seiffert said. "Broadband and the communications services TIA members enable make the world more productive, efficient and connected."
That quote came as part of the TIA's announcement that it has joined the Sustainable Technology Environments Program (STEP). Seiffert has become a member of STEP's board of directors. STEP is a group recently created by the manufacturers, designers, integrators, programmers and users of technology to guide project and building owners to implement technologies and practices that will produce economic benefits to their organization while preserving the planet, the TIA explained in its announcement that it has joined the organization.
"As a standards developing organization, TIA engineering committees have worked for many years on improving technology to increase energy efficiency in structures such as data centers," the TIA added. Seiffert also said, "TIA can lend its expertise in standards development to help meet STEP's goal of establishing technology industry benchmarks for sustainability and materials practices."
STEP, the TIA explained, focuses on the technology systems that operate within sustainable buildings, employing a five-phase approach to planning, implementing and measuring the impact of a project. Conducted by the providers of technology and the building owner, STEP engages the best practices and standards for sustainability. Its rating scale is adaptable to any technology project within a built environment, the TIA added.