Energy Reduction and Efficiency As Good as a New Energy Plant
America’s leading insulation manufacturers association this week endorsed legislation introduced by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Rob Portman (R-OH) aimed at bringing model building energy codes into the 21st century, mandating stricter standards for federal building energy efficiency, and buttressing federal loan programs for energy efficiency retrofits and rural efficiency projects.
“CNAIMA is pleased to see Senators Shaheen and Portman encourage greater energy efficiency in this legislation,” remarked Kate Offringa, CEO of the Council of the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (CNAIMA). “As consumers across the country face rising oil and gas prices and policymakers re-examine our nation’s power production, this bill recognizes a fundamental reality: the best and cheapest energy available is the energy we don’t use.
The bill, entitled the “Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2011,” would support the creation of a national model building energy code along with supporting the update of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) building codes. Developed in conjunction with other stakeholders in the energy efficiency policy space, the legislation sets a high standard for building efficiency improvements with a goal of reaching zero-net-energy commercial and residential buildings by 2030. The bill would require individual states to update their building energy codes within the next two years and would require existing and future federal government buildings to meet or exceed 2009 IECC codes or ASHRAE Standard 90.1 within one year following enactment.
Additionally, the bill would require electric utilities to provide consumers with up-to-date information about their individual energy usage, helping individual consumers to better understand ways to reduce their energy bills and use power more efficiently.
“While passage of this comprehensive energy package won’t be easy,” Offringa explained, “the Council believes components of the bill, particularly those focused on improved building energy codes and financing of loans to support retrofits, set an important standard for other legislative proposals that may emerge in the near future. I commend Senators Shaheen and Portman for their leadership in recognizing the vital role efficiency can play in our energy policy.”
About the Council of NAIMA
The Council of the North America Insulation Manufacturers Association advocates for policies and programs that encourage and incentivize increased energy efficiency through insulation in new and existing residential and commercial buildings and industrial applications. Membership in the Council of NAIMA is open to thermal and acoustical insulation manufacturers – regardless of insulation product type – and their suppliers located in North America.
Tags: energy efficiency, energy reduction, energy savings
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