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tweetA decade of progressively stricter laws aimed at reducing energy use and consumer desire to lower costs have already bred a $20 billion-a-year industry in the U.S.
California building owners already employ a small army of consultants to navigate the nation’s strictest energy standards, and many will soon spend millions to make old buildings more efficient. As the U.S. redoubles its commitment to reducing greenhouse gases, that experience could be replicated nationwide.
With the state poised to halve building energy use by 2030 and the nation about to start curbing greenhouse-gas emissions under last month’s Paris accord, more structures across the U.S will need renovations. Buildings account for 39 percent of carbon dioxide emissions, exceeding transportation and industrial uses, says the U.S. Green Building Council.