September 28, 2009—The United States can reduce its energy consumption and create more “green” jobs by adopting some of the strategies used by the European Union (EU) and Australia to rate and disclose the performance of commercial and government-owned buildings, according to a study from RAND, the nonprofit research organization.
The study provides several considerations for U.S. policymakers, which fall into the areas of energy efficiency requirements for building codes, energy performance certificates, retrofitting and making operational improvements to existing buildings, using public buildings as a test bed for new energy-saving solutions and establishing energy-efficiency programs.
The study finds that steps taken by the EU and Australia to inspect, rate and publicly disclose the energy efficiency of buildings indicate the buildings use less energy and are worth more when sold or leased.
When examining the recent efforts in the EU and the Australian Commonwealth to promote energy efficiency, researchers focused on five major policy tools: building codes, energy efficiency ratings, the role of public buildings, the training and certification of experts, and the issuance of tradable “white certificates.”
The EU also requires energy performance certificates to be presented for all building sales or rentals.
The study, “Improving the Energy Performance of Buildings: Learning from the European Union and Australia,” recommends that public building ratings be based on measured energy performance rather than design characteristics alone. For more information, see the RAND Web site.
