Buildings
The AC Industry Conundrum: Cooling Is Warming the Planet, but Market Failures Are Preventing the AC Industry from Innovating
This summer a new record was set in Quriyat, Oman for hottest overnight low temperature ever recorded—42.6ºC (108.7ºF). With global temperatures projected to rise 2–5oC by the end of the century, and urban areas experiencing temperatures 1–3ºC warmer than their surroundings, parts of the world will be unendurable…
Zero Over Time Process Drives Existing Portfolios Toward Net Zero Energy
Net-zero energy (NZE) buildings are gaining interest from building owners, tenants, and landlords alike. RMI’s latest report, in partnership with Urban Land Institute (ULI), Best Practices for Achieving Zero Over Time for Building Portfolios, outlines our zero-over-time (ZOT) approach to help portfolio owners navigate the barriers to achieving net zero…
The Easiest and Most Economical Way to Meet Growing Electricity Demand for the Electric Vehicle Revolution Is to Save It in Our Buildings
Policymakers far and wide, buckle up! The electric vehicle (EV) revolution is upon us: baseline forecasts project that EVs will comprise more than half of all annual car sales and one-third of all cars on the road (550 million in total) globally by 2040. Over the same time frame, electricity…
The Consumer Connection: A Consumer-Centric Approach to Delivering Home Energy Services
Two-thirds of US homeowners consider home energy performance a top priority, but few actually take action to improve home energy use. And those who have implemented efficiency improvements seldom invest in whole-home energy upgrades. In sum, a large gap exists between intentions and actual investments, signifying a market failure to…
Policies for Better Buildings
Cities consume over two-thirds of the world’s energy and account for more than 70 percent of global CO2 emissions, while occupying only 2 percent of its land area. Many cities are well aware of their substantial carbon footprints and have made commitments to emissions reductions and conducted emissions audits to…