360 Energy Group hopes you had a fun and safe 4th of July holiday! Don't let your energy bills skyrocket this summer. Explore our website for tips to stay cool without sacrificing your budget.
What are Passive House Standards?
The Passive House standard is an innovative concept for building design and construction that relies on quality, comfort, and energy efficiency. In emphasizing insulation, highly efficient windows, and an airtight building envelope, you can improve comfort and enhance air quality while making conventional heating and air conditioning obsolete. According to the Passive House resource, Passipedia, Passive House buildings can generate heating and cooling related savings of up to 90 percent.
Because of its sustainable design, Passive House buildings can operate with as little as 10 percent of the energy used in a typical facility. The standard design principles include thermal insulation, insulated window frames or window glazing, ventilation heat recovery, airtight building design, and an absence of thermal bridges. These design principles work to maintain indoor air quality and temperature by preventing drafts and solar heat gain.
Your building may not be at the Passive House standard, but energy efficiency can get you a step closer. Learn more about our building tune-up services and get your energy consumption back on track. Our engineers will identify low-cost energy solutions to cut spending and optimize your budget. Get started today by contacting our Senior Program Manager, Ryan Curry, at 312-267-2864 or ryan@360eg.com.
The Energy Revolution: How Consumption has Changed Since 1776
Fossil fuels such as petroleum, natural gas, and coal have accounted for roughly 80 percent of U.S. energy consumption for well over a century. Despite our best efforts to increase energy efficiency and lower energy demand, 2018 was the highest energy consuming year for the U.S. on record. Regardless of the increase, the percentage of fossil fuel consumption reached its second lowest share since 1902.
According to the Monthly Energy Review published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the spike in fossil fuel consumption was driven by the petroleum and natural gas sectors. Natural gas has been on the incline for the past decade with marked increases for eight out of the last 10 years. Likewise, petroleum has become the largest source of U.S. energy consumption. Coal consumption on the other hand, has been on the steady decline for the last five years; falling another 4.3 percent in 2018. Since its peak in 2005, coal consumption has declined 42 percent.
As U.S. energy consumption continues to shift, renewable energy becomes a more important segment. Renewable energy such as wind, solar, hydroelectricity, and biomass have proven to be a cleaner and more sustainable way for us to maintain energy on the grid without sacrificing our planet or our health. In 2018, renewable energy made up 11.4 percent of our overall energy consumption, and it is predicted to grow considerably in the coming years.
Lowering our 2019 energy consumption will require a greater emphasis on energy efficiency. Whether it's a building energy assessment, a building tune-up, or capital energy upgrades, we all have the power to manage and lower our energy use. To learn more or to get started, contact us at info@360eg.com or 312-265-3971.
The Social Media Corner
Are you following us on social media? Stay up to date on all things energy efficiency by giving us a follow. Check out some of our top posts from last month.
The Marijuana Industry and Energy Efficiency
As states across the U.S. legalize recreational marijuana, growers need innovative solutions to reduce the industry's energy demand. Read our analysis here.
What Building Standards are Missing
New York is leading the fight against climate change with unique and effective legislation. Building standards need to be pushed further to include an energy efficiency standard, retro-commissioning. Read more here.
Find out how AI is Changing the Energy Industry
New trends in artificial intelligence are changing the way we traditionally consume energy and transforming the industry. Read the full story here.