Buildings account for approximately 60% of the community's GHG emissions.
Lighting, plug loads, major appliances, space heating and cooling, and water heating all contribute to building emissions (through natural gas use for space heating) or indirect use of fossil fuels (e.g. using electricity from an electricity grid than is primarily reliant on fossil fuels).
We can decrease building emissions to 40% of community energy use and 35% of emissions by 2050, by making future and existing buildings more efficient so that less direct and indirect fossil fuel energy is used.
As fossil fuel-fired electricity is phased out and replaced with renewable energy, building emissions will decrease. However, the current phase out timeline is such that building emissions will continue to be problematic for years to come.
Improving the energy efficiency of our buildings provides benefits for residents and businesses such as reduced spending on energy, which is especially helpful at lower incomes. Quality of life is also improved as spaces are more consistently the right temperature, are quieter, have improved air quality, and can be designed to be more comfortable.