Energy efficiency retrofits to existing commercial and public buildings represent a rapidly growing market that will benefit building owners, tenants, communities, and the environment.
While most energy efficiency retrofits take place because the building owner is looking to reduce energy costs, government policy is a growing influence. States, cities, municipalities and the federal government are providing incentives to those who may not previously have considered retrofitting their commercial properties for increased energy efficiency.
The motivations of consumers and the influence of governments drive the demand for innovative new products to meet the needs of the owners of older buildings who wish to achieve energy savings through the use of building upgrades.
The global market for energy efficiency retrofits in the commercial building sector will expand from $80.3 billion in 2011 to $151.8 billion by 2020.
This demand is met with a host of increasingly efficient products from suppliers of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment, lighting, windows, insulation, control software, and countless other products.
Industry participants warn that to achieve a successful retrofit, both in terms of cost and comfort, each building must be addressed as a unique situation.
Trying to apply a one-size-fits-all solution across multiple structures is a common pitfall of the industry that results in less energy savings and unhappy building occupants.
According to a recent report from Pike Research the combination of financial benefits and government policies will drive rapid growth in the market for energy efficiency retrofits over the remainder of the decade.
The global market for energy efficiency retrofits in the commercial building sector will expand from $80.3 billion in 2011 to $151.8 billion by 2020, the study concludes.
That market covers the energy efficiency portion of all retrofits and renovations with the building owner purchasing and installing a technology for the purpose of increasing the energy efficiency of the building.
It is useful to break this revenue number down by building type. Each building has significantly different energy consumption patterns, as well as different products and services that address the energy efficiency needs of the building based on its use.
Next page: The importance of policy, regulations and incentives
Most building owners when
Most building owners when thinking Energy Efficiency focus on lighting.
What about natural gas consumption? Does the building have a chimney poking out of the roof? How much HOT exhaust is being blown into the atmosphere, out of that chimney?
With the technology of Condensing Flue Gas Heat Recovery that heat energy can be recovered, and that energy can then still be used inside the building or facility.
Vented into the atmosphere will be COOL exhaust, and the natural gas bills could be reduced by 10 to 15%.
What natural gas is not wasted today, will be there to be used another day.
It's called Energy Conservation. It's called Reduced Global Warming. It's called Reduced CO2 Emissions. It can even be called Water Conservation.