Infrared image of the outside wall of the control and test rooms. The test room, on the left, has undergone modifications. Its image shows significantly more blue (a colder temperature, less heat loss). The unmodified control room on the right shows little blue and much more green, orange and red colors that represent the warm air escaping to the outside.
To be effective, any response to the energy-related challenges of achieving energy independence while attaining environmentally sustainable economic growth must factor in buildings and the nation's $1.4 trillion construction sector. Buildings account for 40 percent of U.S. energy use and a similar share of carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions, more than the transportation or industrial sectors. Buildings consume 72 percent of electric power production. Emissions associated with buildings and appliances are projected to grow faster than those from any other sector.1
To ensure adequate supplies of energy and to reverse projected growth of CO2 emissions, the nation must progress steadily toward buildings that use as much energy from renewable sources as they consume. These "green" buildings also must be constructed—or furnished—with materials, products, and systems that perform effectively over spans that are two times longer than the life cycles of today's versions.
Achieving the ultimate objective—net-zero energy, high-performance green buildings—will require a new and integrated portfolio of science-guided measurement capabilities. These will support innovation in the design and manufacture of individual components and in managing the system complexities and interactions seen in real buildings. Results of proposed NIST research will:
Benefits and other practical outcomes enabled by this initiative will include: