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Energy-efficient buildings, whether new or existing, lessen our nation's energy use.

Essential to Efficiency

Buildings consume 40 percent of all energy used in the United States and are responsible for nearly 40 percent of domestic carbon dioxide emissions. Efficient buildings reduce the speed and severity of global warming, lessen demand on the power grid, decrease stress on natural gas supplies, improve local air quality and save consumers money. Efficient features may be either embedded in new buildings or added to existing buildings through energy retrofits.

New Buildings

The design phase of a new building is the best opportunity to embed long-term energy savings into the building. Major improvements in building efficiency are often accomplished through stronger efficiency requirements in building codes. More on building codes.

Existing Buildings

With less than 1.5 percent of the U.S. building stock built new each year, improving existing buildings is critical to improving building efficiency overall. Energy retrofits, which upgrade equipment and seal the envelope of existing buildings, can save building inhabitants up to 20 percent on their utility bills. Still, participation in retrofit programs remains low. Financial support and technical assistance from all levels of government can help drive energy efficiency retrofits.

America's Top 7 Energy-Efficient Baseball Stadiums

Date: Oct 11, 2012

As you follow the World Series this year, be sure to watch out for the teams who made our Top 7 list of America's most energy-efficient baseball stadiums!

As you follow the World Series this year, there’s something else to watch besides the score: the energy-efficient features that baseball stadiums are showing off this season.

Greenbuild 2013

November 20, 2013 - 8:00am - November 22, 2013 - 5:00pm
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Take Advantage of Home Energy Efficiency Savings This Tax Season

Date: Mar 26, 2013

Author(s): 
Allyson Schmutter

Before you press send on your online tax return or finish your last meeting with your financial advisor, make sure you are saving as much money as possible for making energy-efficient choices at home.

Before you press send on your online tax return or finish your last meeting with your financial advisor, make sure you are saving as much money as possible for making energy-efficient choices at home.

Energy efficiency is always a good idea for your bottom line and this year you can take advantage of some related tax credits!

The EE Eight: Energy-Efficient Campuses in the NCAA Basketball Tournament

Date: Mar 13, 2013

With college basketball’s March Madness tournament just around the corner, the Alliance to Save Energy has compiled a list of the most energy-efficient campuses entering the NCAA competition.

Students of all ages are accustomed to being graded on their work and ranked against their peers. It’s a common practice for just about everything in society from education to politics, but athletics is perhaps one of the most scrutinized and ranked fields out there. With college basketball’s March Madness tournament just around the corner the Alliance to Save Energy has compiled its picks for the most energy-efficient campuses entering the NCAA competition.

In no particular order, here are the Alliance's EE Eight:

EIA Survey Suggests Everyday Purchases Can Have Greater Impact on Energy Bills

energy-saving consumer choices
Author: 
Allyson Schmutter
Contact Email: 
aschmutter@ase.org
Date: 
March 7, 2013

The Alliance says smart, energy-saving consumer choices are now even more important than before after a new U.S. Energy Information Administration survey found that lighting, electronics and appliances have jumped from representing 24% of home energy consumption in 1993 to 35% in 2009. 

More Being Spent to Power Electronics, Appliances & Lighting

Energy Efficiency on the East Coast:Rhode Island’s Leadership

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March 1, 2013

Rhode Island has the third lowest per capita electricity consumption in the country and for the past four years has ranked in the top ten on the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) state energy efficiency scorecard. This one pager highlights pivotal initiatives and policies that drive Rhode Island's energy efficiency success.

  • Cost Effectiveness: In 2011, RI’s electric energy efficiency programs served over 258,000 participants, saving customers more than $122 million over the lifetime of those measures.[1]
  • Economic Vitality: Every $1 invested in Rhode Island energy efficiency has already provided more than $3 of electric and natural gas benefits.[2]

California's Energy Efficiency Initiatives

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March 1, 2013

Not only has California continuously ranked in the top two on the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy’s state energy efficiency scorecard, but its per capita electricity consumption has also remained relatively constant since the 1970’s, a period throughout which United States per capita electricity consumption has nearly doubled. This one pager highlights pivotal initiatives and policies that drive California's energy efficiency success.

  • The California Energy Commission estimates that due to California’s steady per capita electricity consumption, California has avoided building 40 500MW power plants.
  • At the California average price of 12 cents per kWh, the 40 avoided power plants are saving California $15 billion annually in avoided energy bills.[1]

Diverse Commission Unveils Plan to Double U.S. Energy Productivity

Energy 2030
Author: 
Allyson Schmutter
Contact Email: 
aschmutter@ase.org
Date: 
February 7, 2013

A diverse coalition of energy leaders unveil a set of recommendations designed to double U.S. energy productivity by 2030. Achieving goal could save $327 billion annually and add 1.3 million jobs.

A diverse coalition of energy leaders unveil a set of recommendations designed to double U.S. energy productivity by 2030.

Philadelphia: Energy-Efficient Building Policy

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February 5, 2013
Rodney Sobin
Nicole Steele

On June 21, 2012, Philadelphia’s City Council unanimously passed an energy and water benchmarking and disclosure ordinance. The city joins a select group of cities, including Washington, D.C., New York City, Seattle, Austin, and San Francisco, that have all passed similar benchmarking and disclosure laws in recent years.

Return to Main City Efficiency Policy Page

Ring in the New Year with Energy Efficiency Tax Credits

Date: Jan 24, 2013

Author(s): 
Rob Mosher

Commuters, homeowners, and appliance manufacturers – now is the time to make new energy efficiency investments and claim tax credits for improvements you made in 2012. On January 2, 2013, the American Tax Payer Relief Act of 2012 was signed into law, extending many expired tax credits until the end of 2013 and restoring them retroactively for 2012.

Commuters, homeowners, and appliance manufacturers – now is the time to make new energy efficiency investments and claim tax credits for improvements you made in 2012. On January 2, 2013, the American Tax Payer Relief Act of 2012 was signed into law, extending many expired tax credits until the end of 2013 and restoring them retroactively for 2012.

Reinstated energy efficiency tax credits can be used towards:

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