glass building exteriors

Buildings

Policies for Better Buildings

Cities consume over two-thirds of the world’s energy and account for more than 70 percent of global CO2 emissions, while occupying only 2 percent of its land area. Many cities are well aware of their substantial carbon footprints and have made commitments to emissions reductions and conducted emissions audits to…

Show Me the Money: The Business Opportunity of Grid-Interactive Buildings

Utilities, grid operators, homeowners, and private- and public-sector building owners and operators are all buzzing about buildings that dynamically interact with the electric grid. They present an exciting opportunity to go beyond net-zero energy and provide valuable benefits to the electric grid and provide a significant financial return for building…

Report Release: Electrifying Buildings for Decarbonization

Download RMI’s new report, The Economics of Electrifying Buildings Seventy million American homes and businesses burn natural gas, oil, or propane on-site to heat their space and water, generating 560 million tons of carbon dioxide each year—one-tenth of total US emissions. But now, we have the opportunity to meet…

Energy and Affordability in Housing Finance

Utility costs place a significant financial burden on the 35 million very low- to moderate-income (LMI) single-family households in the United States. On average, low-income households spend three times as much to heat and cool their homes as the average household—from 20 percent to 50 percent of their…

A Resilience Strategy Based on Energy Efficiency Delivers Five Core Values

Resilience is perhaps the hottest energy-related topic discussed today among private-sector and government leaders worldwide. Extreme weather events, physical and cybersecurity threats, and utility grid failures are among the myriad reasons leaders are looking for more resilient and reliable energy solutions. However, most resilience efforts today are missing the mark.