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Page added on August 16, 2012
U.S. Takes 9th Place in Energy Efficiency! (Out of 12).
A new report from the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy(ACEEE) ranked the energy efficiency of the world’s 12 largest economies. The U.S., unfortunately, ranked 9 out of 12.
So while we were out dominating at the Olympics, we were quietly slipping behind on a metric that, if improved, would yield a substantial benefit for our country — economically as well as environmentally.
So how did we do on the specifics?
- 9th overall in energy efficiency
- 9th in terms of “national effort” in energy efficiency
- 6th in industrial energy efficiency
- 4th in building energy efficiency
- 12th in transportation efficiency
With our penchant for gas guzzlers and the unpopularity of public transportation over here, it’s easy to see how we came in dead last in transportation.
But a shimmer of hope there is the 4th place ranking we got in building energy efficiency — our best category, and not all that shabby really. (We would have almost gotten a medal if building energy efficiency were an Olympic event.) While we’ve previously lamented our slow progress in implementing energy efficiency in buildings, and have shaken our heads as federal tax credits have been cut and legislation aimed at improving energy efficiency has stalled, it looks like we’re actually doing okay in the field of building efficiency compared to the rest of the world’s developed countries.
Still, our efforts to improve the energy efficiency of buildings, and energy efficiency across the rest of these sectors, could be improved. Doing so would reap significant dividends for families, local economies, businesses, the environment — you name it — all while reducing our dependence on foreign and dirty energy sources.
So here’s to looking on the bright side, seeing the room we have for improvement, and charging ahead. Even if we’ll never take the gold in transportation efficiency, maybe we can at least medal in one of these categories in the years ahead.
For the record, here’s how the rest of the countries surveyed stacked up:
1) United Kingdom
2) Germany
3) Italy
4) Japan
5) France
6) European Union (tie)
6) China (tie)
6) Australia (tie)
9) United States
10) Brazil
11) Canada
12) Russia
6 Comments on "U.S. Takes 9th Place in Energy Efficiency! (Out of 12)."
Rick on Thu, 16th Aug 2012 8:02 pm
I’m surprised the US of Parking Lots is not more like 100th place.
DC on Thu, 16th Aug 2012 9:48 pm
Amerikan buildings…energy efficent? Huh? Maybe some are, here and there, but all the amerikan structures I see, are built to same North American standard, Compressed sawdust, matchsticks and PVC. US buildings are as wasteful as there primitive rustbucket cars. The US is not 9th in efficeny anything, nor is Canda 11, or the UK first! The UK may be less wasteful in some respects, but whoever put it #1 should really go back and check there methodology.
Australia, China …tied for 6th? Seriously?…..
BillT on Fri, 17th Aug 2012 1:33 am
I would laugh at the list if it were not so pathetic! Yes, Europe is ahead because they have smaller countries and distances to cover. They also used their resources better than the dumpster called America. I never saw an energy efficient building in my 64 years of living there. Never! Quite the opposite. If the US is truly 9th, I hate to think what those in the 190th place must be like. Grass huts on the savannah?
We blew it. It is now too late to change. The system in place took 200+ years to make and trillions of dollars, barrels of oil, tons of coal, and cf of gas. We don’t have those luxuries. We have a bankrupt financial system, peaking everything and maybe 10 years before it all ends.
DC on Fri, 17th Aug 2012 2:31 am
TBH, a grass hut would, in point of fact be vastly more efficient than the overwhelming majority of structures built in N.A. 🙂 Its sounds funny, but yes, a grass hut or even log structures would in fact, be ranked far superior to almost anything you can buy from a matchstick contractor here in N.A.
BillT on Fri, 17th Aug 2012 4:05 am
DC, after I posted that comment, I realized that a grass hut WAS more efficient than the plastic and dustboard ‘homes’ I have lived in. I did live in a log house that as over 200 years old and it was much more efficient than any I have lived in since. 8″ of solid oak, floors of 1 1/4″ pine tongue and grooved together, all original after 200 years. It will easily stand another 200+ if it is not torn down to put up a cracker box.
Kenz300 on Fri, 17th Aug 2012 12:48 pm
Solar energy can be a game changer in building energy efficiency.
When solar windows become common for new construction or replacement we will have a boom in solar energy production and energy efficiency.
http://www.newenergytechnologiesinc.com/technology/solarwindow
http://inhabitat.com/solar-glass-generates-power-through-your-windows/
We are nearing the point where solar shingles can be a normal part of building a new home or a replacement roof.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/uciliawang/2012/06/18/dows-solar-shingles-found-their-first-home-in-california/