Building energy performance metrics: supporting energy efficiency progress in major economies
A new report co-written by the International Energy Agency (IEA) describes the state of energy performance in buildings and highlights how an energy efficient, low-carbon pathway can save more than 50 exajoules of energy annually around the world. That savings is equivalent to the current combined building energy use of China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and United States. Building Energy Performance Metrics, co-written with the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation (IPEEC), finds that the 17 countries in the Major Economies Forum (MEF) alone could account for about three-quarters of the identified energy savings potential between 2015 and 2050. But the energ savings are not the only benefit a low-carbon pathway would provide, the new study finds. Realising the energy savings potential in buildings would deliver a range of benefits including lower electricity and fuel costs for businesses and households; greater reliability in meeting energy demand without costly disruptions; and reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants that pose a threat to human health.