the climate case•Green house gases as a result of burning fossil fuels are warming our earth and oceans
•We are at risk of pushing our climate system toward abrupt, unpredictable and potentially irreversible changes with highly damaging impacts. •The sooner we act the lower the risk. •THERE IS MUCH WE CAN DO |
the economic caseThe Economic Case for Zero Energy
Independent of its profound value to the planet and to our descendants, a zero-energy building is also extremely cost-effective. Why? In construction, extra money spent for more space, nicer finishes, extra cabinetry, more landscaping or other such things, is just extra cost. The price goes up, you borrow more money to pay for it, and you have to pay that money back, with interest. Deciding to spend more on energy conservation and renewable energy isn’t like that. Yes, the price goes up, and yes, you borrow more money. But most of the debt service for that borrowing is balanced by the value of the energy saved each year by the extra energy conservation measures, and by the value of the energy generated each year by renewables. After the loan is paid off, there is a big bonus. Then, and for decades thereafter, it takes very little money to supply the building with energy. It should be a very easy decision. See the graphs below for how the economics work. |