WHO CARES ANYWAY?
Having an energy efficient building is becoming more and more vital as energy emerges as a critical economic issue due to high demand for energy and unsustainable supplies of energy. This means that even households must evaluate how well energy is being used to heat and light a home. Energy efficient buildings offer opportunities to save money as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions.[1] As well, the reliance on non-renewable fuels is not sustainable, and it involves using more and more destructive processing means to obtain these fuels. Homes and other buildings account for nearly 40% [1] of total US energy use (Canada is lower with just under 29%[7]), and thus increasing their efficiency will improve the reliance on non-renewable fuels for the future. This environmental benefit of reducing the number of greenhouse gases is both local and global. There are local benefits due to the fact that a buildings energy demand requires a local supply of energy, which causes local pollution and negative health side-effects. This allows communities to focus on investing funds in other places instead of in building power plants.[8]
In addition to overall environmental benefits that arise from a more energy efficient building, there are also personal benefits. Reduced heating and electrical bills are one major benefit to upgrading a home or building a more energy efficient home. As well, installing these energy-efficient technologies effectively works to "future-proof" the building by making investments that will be selling points well into the future.[9] Overall, even though there is an initial amount of money that must be put in to improve energy efficiency, homeowners will often recover these costs in a short period of time due to the reduced energy expenses. This payback time can be short, taking only a few years.[8]
As well, if there is more support and interest in energy saving technologies, associated prices will go down on certain devices while encouraging more and more developments in energy saving technologies to occur. Along with this, the more new practices that are adopted in construction, the more these measures will become standard practice and this in turn will lessen the environmental impact of buildings by making more efficient buildings necessary by law.[9]
The best time to focus on energy efficiency is when a building is first being built, as this new construction offers opportunities to integrate new energy efficiency measures more simply than in a building that is already complete. As well, building a more energy efficient home to begin with is more cost effective than renovating a home to be more energy efficient.[9]
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