New Energy Future News

According to a new white paper released today by Environment Illinois, the country's energy consumption could be cut by 11 percent by 2020 through simple building efficiency measures.

The paper—Building an Energy-Efficient America: Zero Energy and High Efficiency Buildings—outlines the many opportunities for increasing energy efficiency in buildings and makes recommendations for what local, state and federal officials can do to secure huge energy savings in new and existing buildings.

 “An enormous amount of energy is wasted in buildings, and capturing this energy is vital in order to set America on a new path to a cleaner, smarter energy future” said Brian Granahan, staff attorney with Environment Illinois.  “With global warming looming and energy prices soaring, we need to be doing all we can to save energy.”

Nearly half of the energy we use in the United States—10 percent of the energy in the world—is consumed powering the buildings in which we live and work.  Yet much of that energy is wasted.  Building an Energy-Efficient America describes policy steps that states and the federal government can take to significantly cut that waste and realize our technological potential for energy efficiency:   

• Building energy codes should be improved and enforced. National model codes should be 30 percent more efficient by 2010 and state codes should match or exceed the model codes.
• Federal, state, and local governments should adopt policies that encourage building far beyond code and retrofitting existing buildings for increased efficiency.
• Policies should be designed to encourage on-site renewable power.  
• Political leaders should set the goal for all new buildings to be zero net energy by 2030. 

The energy savings achieved through these cost-effective policies is significant.  Key findings in the paper include:

• By 2020 we could reduce annual United States energy consumption by 11 percent through simple building efficiency measures such as more efficient lighting, water heating, and appliances, and by designing new buildings to be more energy efficient. 
• Strong energy codes alone, adopted nationally and adequately enforced, would reduce national energy consumption by 2 percent by 2030.
• Gaining one quad of energy, roughly 1% of our nation’s total consumption, through building efficiency would cost $42.1 billion. This much energy would cost three times as much to be gained through new coal plants, and, at least five times as much through new nuclear plants. 

In September a major opportunity will present itself, when officials from towns and cities across the country come together to update the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) – the national model code most states use to shape how new homes are constructed.  The officials could vote to improve the model code to require new homes to be 30 percent more energy efficient. 

“An enormous amount of energy is wasted in buildings, and capturing this energy is vital in order to set America on a new path to a cleaner, smarter energy future,” said Granahan. 

“This process represents one of the most important energy votes of the year.  Mayors who send their officials to vote for the 30% Solution won’t just be saving their citizens money, they’ll be setting the stage for the entire nation to dramatically reduce the energy we waste and global warming emissions,” he added.

Another key step towards modernizing our buildings is renewing the national energy tax credits.  This package includes tax deductions and bonds to help homeowners, builders and business owners construct buildings that waste less energy and take advantage of solar power.  The tax credits are set to expire at the end of this year and have passed the U.S. House numerous times but have been continually blocked by Senate Republicans.  Passing these tax credits would not only preserve support for clean energy investment, one of the fastest-growing areas of our economy; the tax credits would also help consumers save money by encouraging energy efficient building.  

Many states are already leading the way with building codes, incentives, and rules that set strong minimum standards for efficient building and encourage efficiency far beyond the minimum and renewable energy.  

• Maine recently passed its first statewide residential building energy code, which requires that the state continually incorporate each update to the model code as its energy efficiency increases. 
• Oregon enacted tax credits for energy-efficient building practices in 2007, which can amount to thousands of dollars and large percentages of the incremental costs. 
• California, as part of its ground-breaking Million Solar Roofs legislation, mandates that solar panels become a standard option for all new houses by 2011. 

In Illinois—one of only 9 states without efficiency standards for new residential construction—legislation to create residential energy codes passed the Illinois House by a 109-5 margin and the Illinois Senate 55-0 during the 2008 legislative session, but was never enacted into law due to differences between House and Senate leadership.

Environment Illinois is calling on decision makers to make a commitment to do everything it will take to move our country forward toward a new energy future, and to put us on track to make all new buildings zero-energy by 2030.  In the short term, this means passing the 30 Percent Solution, renewing the energy tax credits, and creating efficiency standards for new residential construction.  

“Gas and electricity bills could be obsolete by the middle of this century, and we can start by taking advantage of the large savings that are already at our fingertips,” said Granahan.  “We need to make a commitment and work towards that vision of clean, efficient, homegrown energy by making the most of the opportunities in front of us right now.”  

To access the Building an Energy-Efficient America report, click here.