A new report from environmental advocacy organization PennEnvironment reveals the stark benefits for Pennsylvania families — in both savings and energy efficiency — that would result from state and federal leaders promoting and supporting green building.
Families in the Keystone State stand to save $1,668 every year on energy bills by 2030 if the government invests today in the energy efficiency of our buildings.
The average Pennsylvanian family of four would see a 35 percent reduction in energy bills than what they would be paying without the improvements in building efficiency.
Called "Building Better: How High-Efficiency Buildings Will Save Money and Reduce Global Warming," the report details not only the decrease in the amount customers are handing over to utility companies each month, but also the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from buildings. Overall, green building improves cost efficiency and environmental sustainability.
PennEnvironment's report pinpoints emission reduction at 21 percent as a direct result of green building. America's buildings currently constitute for 10 percent of the world's energy use.
Inefficient heating and cooling systems and lack of or inadequate insulation, as well as poor and outdated construction, contribute to our nation's buildings' spot near the top of the energy consumption list. The U.S. is an energy vacuum on a global scale.
In the state of Pennsylvania alone, increasing building efficiency would reduce the projected energy use of buildings by a whopping 35% in just twenty years' time. This translates into annual savings of enough energy to power nearly 11 million homes by 2030.
That's 11 million homes that would be powered without paying any more than citizens and utilities are already spending on energy use... and let's not forget that $1600+ annual bump the family of four is saving each year. That's a family vacation they were previously paying for from another savings account... Disney World, anyone?
There are paper savings to be pocketed and energy savings to be transferred with green building initiatives...
"Energy efficient and green buildings make sense, especially when you are dealing with state resources... This will create jobs in Pennsylvania, reduce our dependency on foreign energy, reduce energy costs and is the best use of taxpayer funds," said State Representative Matt Smith.
Improving building efficiency is becoming a priority in states across the country, as nearly half of the nation's states have updated building codes since last year, and more than 20 more — including Pennsylvania — are in the process of doing the same.
Stimulus bucks for efficiency improvements were in the ballpark of $16 billion, and Congress is currently mulling over financial inventive programs like HOME STAR and Building STAR for efficiency improvements in residential and commercial buildings.
PennEnvironment Field Director Adam Garber summed up the best part about investing in energy efficiency improvements: "They pay for themselves as consumers enjoy lower energy bills and a cleaner environment year after year."
For health, wealth, and happiness (see: the annual vacation fund, sprung from energy bill savings and not a second job), improving building efficiency seems like a winning solution for consumer — and green — consciousness.
Brigid
Editor's Note: PennEnvironment is a statewide, citizen-based environmental advocacy organization, drawing on 30 years of success in tackling Pennsylvania's top environmental problems. The report uses government data for its estimates of reduced energy consumption and twenty and forty years. Decreased fossil fuel use and global warming pollution prevented by 2030 and 2050 are also projected from figures from government data.
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