The Global Context
Globally, buildings consume 40% of the total world’s energy and emit 21% of the total greenhouse gases.
Where the U.S. Stands
As Steven Lacey of Greentech Media recently reported, the US ranks 9th on energy efficiency among the twelve largest economies. A strengthened energy policy, and programs that make implementing initiatives easier at the facility level would be beneficial on a number of fronts.
A Path Forward: Policy and Potential
Further, he points to a new commission chaired by U.S. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) and National Grid US President Tom King that have just released a detailed report with some recommendations on how to achieve such a scenario.
Alliance Commission on National Energy Efficiency Policy
The group, called the Alliance Commission on National Energy Efficiency Policy, says it’s possible to double energy efficiency across the U.S. economy by 2030 while increasing economic output by 2 percent and creating 1.3 million jobs in the manufacturing and service sectors through energy saving technology.
The Rise of On-Bill Financing (OBF)
One area mentioned that is gaining wider adoption is on-bill financing (OBF). These programs allow ratepayers to pay for efficiency retrofits through their bills. The Environmental Defense Fund estimates that if these programs were to be embraced nationwide, they would save ratepayers $120 billion over the next decade.
Why It Matters to Save Energy Systems
We are very encouraged by these types of ideas since they simplify the process and allow small to mid-sized facilities to save a considerable amount of money and play a big role in energy reduction here in the US. As this relates to Save Energy Systems, access to OBF programs would make the installation of our automated HVAC control systems cash positive from month one!