technology will support full replacement of fossil fuels as the primary source of electrical power. It is, however, possible to improve the mix of carbon-based fuels, and it is possible to grow renewables as equipment costs decline and technology improves. But consequently, the 2 degrees C target can be met only by both lowering building energy requirements dramatically and supplying current or anticipated energy demand with renewables-based power. The climate-carbon connection, however, is not the only reason to focus on buildings and energy. First, electricity is a cost, and in some places a substantial one. If the cost is unnecessary, it is waste, and waste is an economic drag. Second, there
Buildings consume 70 percent of the electricity generated in the U.S. – 61 percent of which was generated, according to the U.S. Energy Information Agency, from carbon-based fuels in 2019, 23 percent from coal and 38 percent from natural gas. The United Nations estimates that current carbon emissions have placed the world on a path toward a 4-degree Celsius increase in global temperature. The agreed upon United Nations Sustainable Development Goals set the upper targeted limit at a 2-degree Celsius increase. In 2019, electricity generated from renewable sources represented 17 percent of total energy sources – with hydro at 6.6 percent and wind at 7.3 percent. Neither existing nor anticipated renewable energy
are important economic and security advantages to shifting the U.S. fuel source profile. Third, extreme weather events that are growing in frequency and intensity have created serious electricity resilience issues. Those can be addressed more effectively if buildings are less dependent on external power, macro grids, and centralized power generation. And apart from carbon issues, traditional buildings in both the developed and developing world are well known for indoor air quality and related health issues – problems that are even more challenging facing the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sources of U.S. electrical generation, 2019 Total = 4.12 trillion kilowatthours
renewables 17% wind 7.3% hydro 6.6% solar 1.8% biomass 1.4% geothermal 0.4%
petroleum 1%
nuclear 20%
coal 23%
natural gas 38%
Note: Electrical generation from utility-scale facilities. Sum of percentages may not equal 100% because of independent rounding. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration. Electric Power Monthly. February 2020, preliminary data. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/electricity/electricity-in-the-us.php
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