Energy-Efficient and Cost-Effective Equipment Should be Installed in New Government Housing

摘要

This report discusses the efforts being made and the actions that could be taken to make Government housing more energy efficient. For the purpose of this report, Government housing is defined as that which is either entirely owned or assisted through direct subsidies, such as below-market interest rates, and housing financed by Government guaranteed or insured loans. Residential energy consumption accounts for about 20 percent of the Nation's energy use. Studies have shown that heating and cooling equipment, including water heaters, account for as much as 70 percent of the energy consumed in a house. Conservation efforts have concentrated on the thermal envelope (e.g., insulation, storm windows and doors, and infiltration) of new houses with little attention focused on the energy efficiency of equipment that provides needed space heating, air conditioning, and water heating. although most housing is privately financed and developed without Federal assistance in developing and financing new housing, can have a significant influence on reducing residential energy consumption. Under programs administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Veterans Administration (VA), the Farmers Home Administration (FmHA), and the Department of Defense (DOD), energy conservation practices can be fostered in Government owned, subsidized, and insured housing. HUD administers a variety of programs to help meet the Nation's need for decent housing for all Americans. During the last few years, HUD's single-family home mortgage programs have averaged approximately 100,000 new home starts each year.