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A new report by an environmental nonprofit organization says Florida utility payers could save big by investing in green buildings over the next 20 years.
Titled “Building Better,” Environment Florida’s report says businesses statewide stand to save almost $200 on energy per worker each year by 2020, if stringent new green building goals were adopted for new and existing buildings. Those new standards would include adopting building codes for extremely efficient buildings, so that new buildings could obtain all their power “on site” by 2030, using renewable energy like solar panels and wind turbines.
By 2050, the report says, the savings increase to $850 per worker, which represents a 60 percent reduction in projected energy expenditures.
The report says families could save more than $1,500 a year on energy bills by 2030, if the government invests in the energy efficiency of buildings today.
Members of Environment Florida released the report with a news conference at The Clifton hotel in Miami Beach, joined by Miami Beach Vice Mayor Jerry Libbin and executives from Clifton owner Cambean Hospitality.
The report says that, by building green, Florida families would save a higher percentage on their bills than any other state.
The report uses government data to estimate reduced energy consumption, decreased fossil fuel use, money saved on energy bills, and global warming pollution prevented in 2030 and 2050.
The report does not attempt to estimate costs of green building, but suggests that the future savings be counted on to offset the costs, and identifies government funding to help consumers with initial costs of efficient investments, including President Barack Obama’s proposed Home Star program, which would invest in green home retrofits.
Sarah Bucci, federal field associate for Environment Florida in Miami, said the group "is calling on our leaders to implement policies that will help consumers and businesses pay for the upfront costs of these improvements so they can start saving money right away."
The report estimates that more efficient buildings could:
- Reduce the projected energy use of Florida’s buildings 39 percent by 2030. That would conserve enough energy every year to power 17.3 million homes.
- Provide energy savings translating directly into financial savings in the form of reduced energy bills. The average Florida family of four could save $1,562.86 a year by 2030, which is 39 percent lower than what they would be paying without the improvements in building efficiency.
- Prevent pollution of 90.5 million tons of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by 2030, second only to Texas, which is equivalent to taking about 16.5 million cars off the road.
Policies that would help meet the goals may include:
- Adjusting building codes to demand energy efficiency, culminating in a zero net energy standard by 2030. This means that, in 20 years, every new building that is constructed would be so efficient that it can produce all the power it needs on site, from renewable sources like solar panels or wind turbines.
- Investing in energy retrofits and weatherization to improve the efficiency of existing buildings 30 percent by 2030.
- Supporting innovative financing mechanisms that will unleash public and private investment in building efficiency.
“We have barely scratched the surface of what is possible with energy efficiency in buildings,” said Brian Scheinblum, president of Cambean Hospitality, in a news release. “Builders need to become more aware of what has already been done to increase energy efficiency in buildings. The upfront cost of energy efficiency for homes and businesses are not cost prohibitive from an investment standpoint, and will protect future generations from higher energy bills and excess pollution.”
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