Building for a cooler planet

33% of energy-related CO2 emissions are generated by energy use in buildings

29% of that could be cut by 2020 using existing technologies

By 2020 energy use in US buildings is predicted to rise by 25%

While in China it is predicted to rise by as much as 50%

Danny Harvey likes his Toronto office, especially the 8-square-metre window that lets the sunlight flood in. But one day last week he did a quick back-of-the-envelope calculation. Winter temperatures in the Canadian city can drop to -20 °C, and Harvey estimated that keeping his office at 20 °C in such weather pours 2000 watts of heat through the window. That wastes more energy than boiling a kettle all day.
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