Addressing energy-related challenges for the US buildings sector: results from the clean energy futures study

This article presents dollar, energy, and carbon savings associated with adoption of more energy-efficient technologies in the buildings sector for two policy scenarios that represent departures from business-as-usual (BAU) case assumptions. Both scenarios result in net savings in the total cost of providing energy services relative to the BAU case (accounting for fuel expenditures and the direct incremental costs of efficiency programs and investments in the scenario), while still saving energy and reducing carbon emissions. Primary energy savings for the building sector are about 18% in the advanced scenario in 2020 relative to the BAU case. Total carbon savings in that year, including both demand and supply side effects, are almost 40% of BAU emissions. These savings reduce carbon emissions from this sector to below 1990 levels by 2020.