ENERGY FOR BUILDINGS AND HOMES

In the moderately populated but energy-intensive U.S., buildings consume 36% of the country's energy supply and each year run up an energy bill of nearly $200 billion. Commercial buildings (offices, stores, schools, and hospitals) alone have an annual bill of $80 billion. Aside from being expensive, energy takes a tremendous toll on the environment. The energy that powers our applicances and heats, cools, and lights our buildings produces 500 million tons of carbon dioxide a year, or two tons of carbon dioxide for every person in the U.S. New technologies--superwindows, compact fluorescent lights, and automated-control systems--combined with other strategies, such as shade tress and light-colored buildings, could reduce building energy bills by half.