By Joel Sisolak
The News Tribune
February 24, 2009
In his inaugural address, President Barack Obama declared that “each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.” And, I would add, jeopardize our way of life.
It is time to get serious about energy efficiency. In the process, we can create much-needed jobs, reduce global warming pollution and make our energy system more stable and secure as the region continues to grow and prosper.
The greatest opportunity for improvement is in our buildings, which are by far this region’s and the nation’s biggest energy wasters. A 10 percent improvement in U.S. buildings’ energy efficiency would save American taxpayers $20 billion a year; in terms of greenhouse-gas emissions, it would be equivalent to taking 30 million vehicles off the roads.
The urgency to do more to reduce energy waste in buildings was only made more apparent by the recent University of Washington study which predicts our energy system is in for a double whammy as rising temperatures boost demand for power-hungry air-conditioners while reducing hydropower production in summer time.
Efficiency First! legislation currently before the state Legislature (House Bill 1747 and Senate Bill 5854) will help Washington state seize this energy- and money-saving opportunity. The bill seeks to create efficient, low-energy-use buildings by improving building practices over time and retrofitting existing structures. We could see a 50 percent cut in global warming pollution from powering our buildings by 2030.
The legislation represents an investment in the Northwest’s quality of life. Making new buildings as energy efficient as possible and retrofitting existing structures result in better, more comfortable places to work and live.
Energy-efficient buildings are also smart business investments. A recent study by the CoStar Group, “Commercial Real Estate and the Environment,” reveals that LEED- and Energy Star-certified buildings have greater occupancy rates, fetch higher rents and sell for more than do conventional buildings.
In our businesses and homes, energy efficiency will pay for itself. Some up-front investment will be needed, but immediate and continuing savings will quickly cover those costs. Many efficiency measures, in fact, pay for themselves in as little as two or three years.
Local governments and banks are developing creative financing options to ease the “cash in advance” burden on homeowners. HB 1747 and SB 5854 would also provide funding for efficiency upgrades in low-income homes, thus lowering energy bills and making warm homes a reality for Washington’s most vulnerable households.
Energy efficiency upgrades – such as improving insulation and installing better windows, heating and lighting systems – will create good, local jobs. According to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, installing energy efficiency investments such as those called for by the Efficiency First legislation could create more than 1 million jobs.
Investing in energy-efficiency projects like green buildings is a smart choice compared to creating new fossil fuel-based energy infrastructure. Everyone who pays an electricity bill shares the expense of new power plants, which now cost twice as much to build as they did in 2000. Last year, a proposed coal-fired plant in Wisconsin was projected to cost more than $1 billion.
We can avoid those costs and reduce global-warming pollution at the same time. By striving for energy efficiency in our buildings, we do right by the economy, the planet and our communities.
Energy efficiency is a fundamental piece of a sustainable future and the piece we can put in play right now. By reducing demand for energy and investing in clean, new renewable sources, we can improve our own quality of life and that of our children and grandchildren.
Joel Sisolak is the Washington state director of the Cascadia Region Green Building Council, a former board member of Earth Ministry/Washington Interfaith Power & Light, and a member of St. Therese in Seattle.