Investing in Energy Efficiency

There are many reasons to invest in energy efficiency. For new buildings, the energy code adopted by the governing jurisdiction mandates minimum energy performance to which a building is designed. Any investment in energy performance beyond the code minimum for a new building is most often to achieve a green building certification. If built, commissioned, and operated accordingly these buildings can produce a return on investment versus a code minimum building. 

Retrofitting and upgrading existing buildings presents a large opportunity  for energy efficiency investment. The average age of commercial buildings in the US is over 40 years and it is estimated less than a few percent of new buildings are added to the US building stock each year. The foremost reason stakeholders invest in efficiency upgrades in existing buildings is for financial returns.