Sustainability

San Francisco -- Schneider Electric and Autodesk are teaming up to advance building information modeling (BIM) technology and principles for building lifecycle management. As part of the collaboration, the two companies are exploring ways to complement each other’s strengths to make buildings more energy efficient, from the design and construction stage and continuing through operation and end-of-life phases.

Los Angeles - Forever 21 has powered up a 5.1-megawatt (DC), high-efficiency SunPower solar power system at its corporate headquarters in Los Angeles. PermaCity Solar designed and installed the system.

Amsterdam -- Tommy Hilfiger, which is owned by PVH Corp., will launch a digital sales showroom, at its global headquarters in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The showroom is designed to revolutioniz the sales experience for retailers by offering them a more engaging and seamless buying approach. The interactive system blends collection information, sales tools and brand content in one seamless touch-screen interface.

Spokane, Wash. -- Ecova announced it has been selected Chuck E. Cheese’s to provide utility expense and data management services. Ecova will assist the dining and entertainment company in monitoring, understanding and reducing energy use at approximately 525 locations nationwide.

Workplace customization was a recurring theme that emerged from Staples’ annual design competition.

The unique design competition involved 150 designers and architects who undertook the challenge of envisioning what workplaces will look like a decade from now.

As part of the contest, more than 150 architects and designers from around the world envisioned what work lives would be in the next 10-15 years, given the shift toward a "work anywhere, anytime" mentality.

St. Louis -- Ikea plans to install solar energy panels on its 380,000-sq-ft. St. Louis store, due to open in fall 2015. Panel installation will begin this spring, with completion before the store’s opening, making the project the largest rooftop solar array in the State of Missouri.

The store’s 259,000-sq.-ft. solar array will consist of a 1.28-MW system, built with 4,085 panels, and will produce approximately 1,780,000 kWh of electricity annually for the store, the equivalent to reducing 1,227 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2).

Canton, Mass. -- Dunkin' Brands Group, the parent company of Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins, announced that in 2014 its U.S. franchisees opened a total of 422 net new Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins.

Monroe, Mich. - La-Z-Boy Inc. has appointed Barbara J. Runyon as chief human resources officer. She will join the company on Feb. 2 and provide leadership and oversight for talent management, employee engagement, workforce development, and compensation and benefits.

Runyon joins La-Z-Boy from PepsiCo/The Pepsi Bottling Group, where she spent 14 years in various HR positions of increasing responsibility. Most recently, she served as senior director of HR for the company's Midwest region.