Organizations that operate multiple buildings have a difficult task in managing their energy efficiency and carbon footprint. Balancing the environmental and financial cost of operations is becoming an increasing important role for corporate sustainability officers.

One application that attempts to navigate this complex chore is Tririga's Real Estate Environmental Sustainability (TREES) software, which provides an overall assessment of energy use and recommends changes that add to the bottom line.

The software contains modules that use industry standard protocols to assess energy efficiency (ie. LEED and Energy Star), direct greenhouse gas emissions, and also the energy consumed during workers' commutes. TREES guides companies on where to get the most bang for their energy efficiency investment bucks, including where to add insulation, how best to manage space, where to locate new buildings (or where to cut), the optimal locations for solar panels, and how much the ROI will be, according to Barbry McGann Tririga'sexecutive vice president of product strategy.

McGann says TREES has been used by Nokia to cut energy consumption by 15 percent using profitable renewable power. Insurance company American Family Insurance this week announced it has licensed the software so that it can start saving money at its facilities.

Companies looking to get their buildings LEED or Energy Star certified can use TREES to estimate how much it will cost. The software can also identify what is needed to meet the requirements for state and federal tax incentives, according to McGann. She says recommended projects have an ROI of 6 to 12 months.

TREES was introduced last April, and has been adopted by Fortune 500 companies in retail, hospitality, utilities, telecom, higher education, and pharmaceutical that manage a minimum of 3 million square feet of space. Tririga licenses the software to organizations for a set fee or can provide a hosted model of the application based on the square feet managed.

Building management is a ripe field for innovation in software to not only control devices, but also to account for all of the power coming in and emissions going out. You can bet that the new federal focus on energy efficiency and controlling carbon emissions will be a boon for contractors, building automation, and software companies alike.