EcoFactor® announced that it has been awarded U.S. Patent 8,751,186 for the use of connected thermostats to calculate the dynamic thermal properties of buildings. The company said it is the 20th patent it has received for its approach to energy management and intelligent home automation.

Regulations and policy measures, technological advances, and cost reductions are all driving increased investment in energy efficiency retrofits. According to a report from Navigant Research, cumulative global investment in commercial building energy efficiency retrofits is forecast to total $959 billion from 2014 through 2023.

Germany has placed first in a new energy efficiency ranking of the world’s major economies, according to the 2014 International Energy Efficiency Scorecard published by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). The United States ranked 13th out of the 16 nations examined.

Renovate America, a leading provider of residential Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing, announced that it has raised $50 million in growth equity from new and existing investors. Renovate America partners with local municipalities to provide the Home Energy Renovation Opportunity (HERO) financing program.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced up to $14 million in funding for research and development projects that support the advancement of early-stage, breakthrough energy efficiency technologies for buildings and homes.

Members of an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) committee gathered in Santiago, Chile, to discuss new energy auditing and management standards. The committee, TC 242, led the development of the ISO 50001 energy management standard. Additional ISO standards are expected next year.

Bluestone Energy Services LLC, a provider of energy conservation engineering and project development services for a variety of sectors including commercial and retail, announced that it is opening a new office in Arlington, Texas, and adding two energy services executives in New York.

Arby’s Restaurant Group Inc. (ARG), franchisor of the quick-service sandwich chain with nearly 3,400 restaurants worldwide, announced energy reduction savings as part of its company-wide sustainability efforts. ARG achieved a 7.6 percent reduction in energy use intensity as a result of a variety of energy initiatives implemented.