Energy Efficient Practices, Products and Programs for Buildings

摘要

Energy conservation protects the environment and saves money. The United States have achieved outstanding results so far in energy conservation and efficiency since the oil crises in the 1970's. Yet there are enormous opportunities available in the building industry to further reduce energy usage with the technologies that are available today. This report discusses the different building related energy conservation strategies that can be implemented, examines some of the energy efficient building products, equipment and appliances that are currently available for home and commercial use, and provides operation and maintenance tips. One of the most promising energy efficient practice and product is the photovoltaic technology, which is discussed in chapter 3. Not only is solar energy a sustainable resource and environmentally friendly, it could generate excess energy to feed back into the electric grid system and result in no energy charges for the owner other than the initial installation cost. Finally, this report will examine the EPA Energy Star Buildings and Green Lights program and the Energy Star labeled products intended to encourage the growth and use of energy efficient technologies and practices.