Buildings use more energy than any other sector of the U.S. economy. Together, residential and commercial buildings consume more than 40 percent of all energy and over 70 percent of all electricity used in the United States. Space heating, cooling, and ventilation are the largest consumers of energy in buildings, followed by lighting.
Greater energy efficiency in the buildings we live and work in can reduce stress on the power grid and on natural gas supplies by reducing consumption, saving homeowners money, and improving energy security.
Building Energy Codes - Today, ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007 and the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) are the national model energy codes, and each is updated on a three-year cycle. If model building energy codes are strengthened by 30 percent starting now and by 50 percent starting in 2016—and if all states implement the codes—our nation would save more than 3.5 quadrillion Btus of energy in 2030, saving consumers and businesses $25 billion a year.
Building Design, Construction and Renovation - The choices we make in designing and constructing new buildings and renovating old ones will affect energy use for many decades to come. Improving the efficiency of America’s buildings offer a great opportunity to:
- Reduce Energy Consumption - Energy efficiency measures can result in 25–30 percent energy savings for the U.S. buildings sector as a whole over 20 years
- Save Consumers and Businesses Money - In 2008, U.S. households spent approximately $2,225 per year on average for energy bills, while the commercial sector spent $183 billion on non-renewable energy expenditures. Greater energy efficiency in buildings reduces utility bills and puts money back into consumers’ and companies’ pockets.
- Improve Global Competitiveness - Energy efficiency, through the adoption and enforcement of strong building energy efficiency measures, is a quick, cheap and clean way to reduce energy consumption and enhance the productivity of U.S. investment to compete globally.
For more on industrial energy efficiency, download a one pager: Energy Efficiency in Residential and Commercial Buildings.