Building performance is stalled, necessitating a fresh approach and a new standard of innovation. Countries around the world are showing new signs of readiness to act on carbon emissions. That means new pressures to make buildings highly efficient in their use of electric power, particularly as a recent report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency shows that, between 1990 and 2013, indirect greenhouse-gas emissions from the electricity use of homes and businesses increased 28 percent. However, perceptions of ultramodern, high-efficiency commercial buildings may not align with the realities of a low-carbon built environment. The United States will need to work primarily with existing buildings, as opposed to new construction. Thus, the future of high-performance commercial buildings is linked integrally to retrofits, and a successful retrofit strategy for environmentally sustainable commercial buildings will require a fresh approach and new kinds of innovation.
展开▼
