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New Energy Future In The NewsIllinois Times - 2008-07-17
Three Steps -- Cutting Energy Consumption Doesn't Have To Be Painful, But It Is Necessary (new window) The United States of
America uses approximately 20 percent of all energy generated
worldwide. Per unit of economic output, our economy is twice as energy
intensive as Germany’s and nearly three times as energy intensive as
Japan’s. Our buildings alone are responsible for nearly half our energy
use — that’s almost 10 percent of all energy used across the planet. Staggering
numbers? Definitely, and the associated consequences are immense. Such
massive energy production increases global-warming pollution and fills
our skies with toxic chemicals that endanger our health. Energy
consumption is an enormous expense, suffocating economic growth through
skyrocketing monthly utility bills for businesses and families. We cannot continue down this path — and the good news is that we have the tools to get more efficient immediately. A
new paper released by Environment America details how we can reduce
energy use through vastly increased efficiency in our buildings. The
paper, “Building an Energy Efficient America: Zero Energy and High
Efficiency Buildings,” outlines the remarkable gains available through
improved building design, more efficient lighting systems, and new
technologies for space conditioning. With
75 percent of our buildings targeted for construction or renovation by
2035, there’s a tremendous window for change. Aggressive weatherization
of homes, combined with installation of high-efficiency furnaces and
air conditioners, reduces energy consumption for space heating and
cooling by 20 to 40 percent or more. Similar savings are available for
energy used in water heating (through the use of tankless and solar
water heaters), lighting (through the use of energy-efficient compact
fluorescent lamps and light-emitting diodes, or LEDs), and many
appliances. Becoming
more energy efficient makes economic sense, too. Every $1 spent on
energy efficiency saves, on average, $3 on customer energy bills. One
quad of energy (a quadrillion BTUs, approximately 1 percent of total
U.S. energy production) gained through investment in building
efficiency would cost $42.1 billion — a significant amount, but not in
comparison to the $122 billion to deliver this much energy by building
new coal plants. U.S. Sen. John McCain talks about building 35 new
nuclear plants, but delivering a quad of energy through new nuclear
power would cost an astounding $222 billion. That great untapped clean energy resource? It’s getting more out of the energy we already create. But
we can’t get there without if our politicians don’t step up to the
plate. They must tackle this problem by taking the following steps: First,
the national model building energy code must be strengthened. Every
three years, code officials meet to develop new guidelines for the
latest code. The latest meeting is scheduled for September. A coalition
of groups — from the U.S. Department of Energy to the Consumer
Federation of America — has endorsed the “30 Percent Solution,” a 30
percent strengthening of our model code. If mayors are serious about
reducing needless energy consumption, they will tell their code
officials that the 30 Percent Solution must become part of the model
code, and they will work diligently to enforce the code once it’s
approved. Second,
strong energy codes must be adopted nationwide. Although 18 states have
adopted the latest model code for new residential construction, states
such as Illinois have no statewide standard. Legislation to create
efficiency standards for new residential construction passed the
Illinois House by a 109-5 margin and Senate by a 55-0 margin, but, as a
result of squabbling between House and Senate leadership, never became
law. If our state government’s leaders are serious about energy
efficiency, they’ll put petty differences aside and turn this bill into
law. Third,
national tax incentives for clean and renewable energy must be extended
and enhanced. Many of these technologies, such as solar photovoltaic
panels, are used by buildings on-site to produce energy and offset
consumption. Stunting the growth of promising technologies by removing
incentives for their development, adoption, and use would mark a giant
step backward when we must move full speed ahead. Cutting
energy consumption doesn’t have to be painful, and increased efficiency
in our buildings is a great start. The solutions are there. It’s time
for our leaders to carry them forward. |