Deep Energy Retrofit Business Guide for Public Buildings

In European Union countries and in the United States, buildings account for more than 40% of all energy consumed and for 35 to 45% of CO2 emissions, making buildings the largest enduse energy sector, followed by industry and transportation.
[1] Moreover, over 80% of the existing buildings today are at least 15 years old.
[2] Buildings’ enormous appetite for electricity

—most of which is produced by fossil fuels

— threatens our climate, our security, our economy, and our health.The building sector presents the potential for tremendous improvements in energy efficiency and reductions in carbon emissions.
[3] Energy retrofits to the existing building stock represent
a significant opportunity in the transition to a low-carbon future. Moreover, investing in highly efficient building materials and systems can replace long term energy imports, contribute to cost cutting, and create numerous new jobs. Yet, while technologies to improve energy efficiencies are readily available, significant technological progress has not yet been made, and “best practices” for implementing building technologies and renewable energy sources are still relegated to small “niche” applications.