Energy Efficiency

Billions of dollars are wasted each year because the buildings we live in and work in are inefficient. According to EPA Energy Star, by implementing widely available technology (including low-cost and no-cost improvements), property owners can decrease the amount of energy their existing building consumes by an average of 30 percent.¹ The latest architectural strategies and most efficient heating and cooling systems can decrease the amount of energy new buildings consume decrease by 40 to 100 percent.² By comparison, a German home consumes half as much energy as a typical U.S. home while a home in Sweden uses a quarter of the energy of a U.S. home.

Conventional energy and fresh water are becoming both more expensive and scarce. According to the Energy Information Administration, in the last 10 years the cost of natural gas increased by 88%. Electricity costs increased by 32%.³ Demand for energy is expected to increase by over 25% in the next 20 years.⁴ Considering the disconcerting forecasts for energy costs and demand, it is evident we must dramatically reduce the energy buildings consume. By improving the efficiency of buildings through the whole-building approach and the latest green building codes and programs, we can dramatically reduce the amount of energy buildings waste.

Click here to learn about the Whole-Building Approach.