U.S. Energy Department’s Better Buildings Initiative Saved Nearly $11 Billion in Energy Costs

The U.S. Energy Department on June 9 announced that the more than 950 public and private sector organizations participating in the Better Buildings Initiative saved nearly 1.8 quadrillion British thermal units of energy, yielding $10.7 billion in savings.

The Better Buildings Initiative is designed to drive leadership in energy innovation. The department partners with leaders in the public and private sectors to enhance energy efficiency of residential and commercial buildings, and industrial plants by expediting investment and sharing best practices. Since the program started in 2012, financial allies have extended over $23 billion, including $4.2 billion in the past year, to support projects across diverse sectors.

Over 950 organizations from nearly every sector – industrial, commercial, healthcare, government, education, and multifamily – are cooperating with the department to reduce waste and share energy saving solutions. The partnership represents 32 of the country’s Fortune 100 companies, and 12 of the top 25 U.S. employers, who are expected to set a role model on saving energy.

The initiative’s 2020 progress report details achievements in advancing energy productivity and highlights the 20 organizations that met their goals in the past year. Looking forward, the department and its partners will continue to overcome energy efficiency barriers, focusing on topics such as constructing grid-interactive, efficient buildings and establishing field validation partnership. New technology areas including integrated advanced lighting controls and building envelope efficiency improvements will be strengthened to optimize the energy performance buildings and plants.