I don't often write about energy efficiency in commercial buildings but there was a lovely article in The Washington Post last month about the experience of Gary J. Saulson, director of corporate real estate for PNC Financial Services Group Inc. Staff reporter Steven Mufson wrote that Saulson's associates thought he was crazy when he proposed turning a partly constructed operations center in Pittsburgh into a "green" building. The article said they aren't questioning his sanity now as the 647,000-square-foot steel, stone and curved glass structure spends $1.5 million a year on utilities -- 26 percent less per square foot than one of the bank's comparable standard buildings. Midcourse changes included the building's design, materials, lighting, and heating and cooling systems. Saulson is now overseeing the construction of new "green" PNC branches. The article talks about what other companies are doing as well. Let's hope it helps more businesses see the bottom-line benefits of energy efficiency.