Promoting Building Efficiency

By: Elizabeth Cutright

Writing for The Hill’s Congress Blog last week (“Raising the game for energy efficiency”), C. David Myers, president of Johnson Controls Building Efficiency, calls on President Obama and congress to invest in building efficiency.

“The cleanest and lowest cost way to meet our energy needs is to consume less,” declares Myers, who goes on to write about the need for incentives and strong financial paybacks to “raise the game” and put “the right tools and policies in place to increase investment in energy efficiency, which will save money, produce jobs, and reduce carbon pollution.”

Myer’s plan involves focusing on building efficiency by setting “high, but achievable, goals” and leading by example. Citing the recent retrofit of the Empire State Building (you can read our Distributed Energy coverage of this project here), Myers highlights the project’s benefits and successes, including a 38% reduction in energy use and a three-year ROI.

Myers outlines the benefits of energy efficiency investments. Funding retrofits and rehabs would require a $280 billion investment, but could save building owners more than $1 trillion over the next decade. Additionally, investments in efficiency would create jobs, while also “raising minimum building performance, consumer awareness, and private investment.”

How will this efficiency revolution begin? “We must also raise the level of energy efficiency by improving energy efficiency standards for new construction and during major building renovations,” writes Myers.

“States should be encouraged and supported in adopting and enforcing the most recent national model building codes and appliance/equipment standards. Providing incentives, which cover a portion of the incremental cost for “above-code” construction, can be a cost-effective way to capture additional efficiency opportunities.

“There is much more work to be done,” he continues, “but if we raise our game with strong leadership, smart policies, increased awareness, and increased private investment, we can save more money, create more jobs, and help protect our environment for future generations. All of this can be accomplished and provide a strong financial return.”

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