Organization Looks to Continue Improving Performance of Residential Buildings
ATLANTA — When it comes to energy use, the residential sector consumes one-fifth of all primary energy in the U.S. (21 percent) and more than half (54 percent) of all energy used by buildings, according to ASHRAE. Similar trends are also observed in other parts of the world. For example, in Europe, residential buildings account for 75 percent of the total building stock and were responsible for 26.2 percent of the European Union’s total energy consumption in 2012. Those figures reflect big energy use. They also present big opportunities for sustainability.
From economic, environmental, and energy security perspectives, a sector responsible for this much energy consumption requires significant attention, noted Tom Phoenix, ASHRAE president.
As such, ASHRAE is exploring its role in residential energy, looking at how it can contribute most effectively to the improvement of the performance of residential buildings. ASHRAE recently released a report, “ASHRAE and the Residential Construction Market,” which contains a series of recommendations to the organization’s board of directors.