The Obama administration announced its new regulations for reducing carbon emissions from fossil fuel burning power plants by 30% by 2030, or roughly equivalent to the emissions used to power more than half of the homes in the US for one year. The Clean Power Plan proposal from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that emission reductions can occur through more energy efficient generation and usage of electricity in order to decrease dependency on coal and other dirty fuel sources.
States have until June 2016 to submit their plans for meeting these regulations. According to the EPA, possible options include:
- Increasing efficiency of power plants
- Limiting the power supply to the grid from coal-fired power plants
- Investing in more renewable sources of energy
Critics argue that the Clean Power Plan will cause electricity prices to spike and the EPA estimates the cost of this proposal at around $8 billion annually; however, there are cost effective changes that can make buildings themselves more green and energy efficient in order to keep costs down as states develop their roughly 30% carbon emissions reduction goals. Making the right investments in energy efficient building upgrades can result in big savings both immediate and long-term.
Fast Facts about Energy Consumption in the US:
- One-third of carbon emissions in the US are due to generating electricity
- 39% of energy is used by buildings (18% commercial; 21% residential)
- 53% of these buildings have inefficient single pane windows that allow air infiltration, which results in an increased need for energy to maintain the temperature of the building.
If more buildings in the US simply made the upgrade to their windows, they would save an average of 20% on energy costs alone. In terms of price and associated time and labor costs, however, not all window upgrades are created equally. Thermolite offers a low-cost solution to energy savings with our interior window systems.
Our interior window systems are one of the most affordable means of quickly and easily achieving energy savings in commercial and industrial buildings. No replacement of old inefficient single pane windows is necessary – our window systems are installed within minutes on the interior of the existing windows, which don’t have to be removed or otherwise altered.
If you’re looking into options for reducing carbon emissions, Thermolite can offer you additional detailed information on how our window systems can help you reach your energy efficiency goals. Contact us today online or by phone at (574) 234-4004 and we’ll be happy to answer any questions or provide more insight.
The Thermolite engineering staff is an innovative structural, energy modelling, and implementation team that works to create unique window systems alternatives to traditional replacement windows. Our systems protect against blasts, hurricanes, and sound, while being energy efficient and quick and easy to install. We serve a wide range of industry buildings including government, military, historical, schools and universities, financial, health care, hospitality, and offices. Contact us today to learn how we could update your building’s window systems.
References:
http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/02/politics/epa-carbon-emissions/
Pingback: New Obama Carbon Emission Regulations: How States Can Comply | Thermolite Windows
Pingback: RetroWAL™ Interior Curtainwall Retrofit System » Electricity Prices Rising in the US: How Retrofit Glass Technology Can Help Lower Costs