The OurEnergyLibrary aggregates and indexes publicly available fact sheets, journal articles, reports, studies, and other publications on U.S. energy topics. It is updated every week to include the most recent energy resources from academia, government, industry, non-profits, think tanks, and trade associations. Suggest a resource by emailing us at info@ourenergypolicy.org.
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Several U.S. Government agencies promote energy efficiency in buildings internationally. The types and scope of activities vary by agency. Those with the largest role include the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. Department of State and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Both USAID and the Department of State have a substantial presence overseas, which may present some complementarities with the Department of Energy’s efforts to reach out to other countries. Generally speaking, USAID focuses on capacity building and policy issues; the Department of State focuses on broad diplomatic efforts and some targeted grants in support of these efforts, …
View Full ResourceIn North America, a number of efforts are underway to achieve high levels of energy efficiency in commercial and residential buildings. Most of these programs aim to increase the performance of the building envelope, efficiency of equipment, or to effect behavioral changes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the building stock. One area generally overlooked by program managers is the source of energy supply to a building; district energy systems (DES) are a proven method to supply thermal energy to buildings while reducing peak demand, annual energy use, and total greenhouse gas emissions.
This paper provides a background on the …
View Full ResourceThis report catalogs by sector—buildings, transportation, industrial, and power—energy efficiency policies at the federal, state, and local levels, and identifies some prominent policy trends. Four key findings emerged from this report: 1) leadership on energy efficiency is necessary—and is found—at each level of government; 2) there is no widely accepted methodology for evaluating energy efficiency policies; 3) coordination among the three levels of government—and across sectors—is increasingly important, and there are opportunities to significantly improve policy performance through a unified strategy; and 4) there are efficiencies to be gained by informing policies in one sector with experience from others.…
View Full ResourceThis report catalogs by sector—buildings, transportation, industrial, and power—energy efficiency policies at the federal, state, and local levels, and identifies some prominent policy trends.
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View Full ResourceImproving energy efficiency in buildings is central to combating climate change, with more than a third of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions coming from the building sector. Over the past year, there has been a much stronger push from the federal level to fund energy efficiency programs as part of a national agenda to foster a clean energy economy that generates sustainable high-quality jobs and reduces our dependence on imported fossil fuels. Vital to this process is to develop innovative financing solutions that reach broadly across energy efficiency and low-carbon energy options.
Energy Financing Districts (a.k.a Property-Assessed Clean Energy (PACE), Sustainable …
Natural gas is used as a fuel to generate electricity, to heat and cool buildings, to run appliances, and to power vehicles. Natural gas is also a feedstock for many products and industries. Some observers speculate that natural gas demand and prices will increase under policies that restrict U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as consumers switch from higher‐carbon fuels like coal to lower‐carbon natural gas. To estimate the impact of a national climate policy and changing market conditions, the Climate Change Policy Partnership (CCPP) at Duke University modeled ten natural gas market scenarios using the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) National …
View Full ResourceClean energy municipal financing mechanisms like the City of Berkeley’s program Berkeley FIRST (Financing Initiative for Renewable and Solar Technology) have the potential to help catalyze the transition to a more sustainable use of energy and also deliver benefits beyond emissions reductions, including a new source of job growth, reduced strain on the electric power system, and more comfortable and well-maintained buildings. How do these initiatives work, and what might the financial impact be on participants at the state and national levels? How do the benefits of clean energy municipal financing compare to other available financing options like mortgages and …
View Full ResourceThe U.S. Capitol Complex in Washington, D.C., comprises some of the most historic, symbolic, and heavily used buildings in the nation. Among these are the U.S. Capitol, the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress, the House and Senate office buildings, the U.S. Botanic Gardens, the Capitol Visitors Center, and various support facilities. Within these buildings, public policy is made, legislation is enacted, and priceless artifacts and documents are stored and displayed. They are the workplaces of 535 congressional representatives, the justices of the Supreme Court, their staffs, the staff of the Library of Congress, and others and are the destination …
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This 19-page memo to the Obama administration outlines 17 goals that can reduce U.S. oil use and greenhouse gas emissions each by 50% in 10 years. These policies would also create over three million jobs in the next four years, and earning a profit for the nation in under 25 years. The recommendations include both demand and supply side goals in multiple sectors (buildings, transportation, industrial, electricity and heat, and liquid fuels). The recommendations also contain five overarching goals: the Smart Grid is installed, enhancing energy security, enabling distributed resources, and integrating electrified vehicles; better electricity end-use data are available; …
View Full ResourceThis full color, 12 page pamphlet, intended as an introduction to architects, covers a range of topical summaries emphasizing the beneficial use of coal combustion products (CCPs) in building design applications. Specifically covered subjects are CCP material descriptions, U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Certification program, production and use statistics, actual CCP building use case studies, the applicability of CCPs to building design and application products, the use of CCPs and their influence on sustainability and a list of other CCP references.…
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