Energy and Water Efficiency

• Author: Brandon Hanson
• Pages: 56-59

56 Sustainable Development Code: Climate Change

ENER GY A ND WATER

EFFI CIE NCY

Brandon Hanson (author)

Jonathan Rosenbloom & Christopher Duerksen (editors)

INTRODUCTION

Lowering energy and water use ca n drastically reduce greenhouse gas (GHG)

emissions.1 One ecient and cost-eective way to reduce energy and water

use without changing user behaviors or practices is to use energy and water

ecient products.2 Some models of air conditioners, heaters, other appli-

ances and building products use less electricity than others. is ordinance

encourages individuals a nd developers to switch to these more energy and

water ecient products by oering a variety of incentives. Some incentives

are directed at reducing developer costs or increasing de veloper revenue in the

purchase and implementation of ecient products.3 Example loca l incentives

include tax credits or government grants.4 Other incentives provide develop-

ers with building and permitting process benets, such as expedited permit-

ting and density bonuses.5 ese energy and water eciency ordinances can

be adapted to t a particular local community’s circumstances and can be

adjusted as needed to require more energy or water ecient products as the

community progresses towards cutting energy and water consumption.

Along with ordinances, ma ny local governments oer rebate programs.

Rebate programs create incentives for those looking to use more ecient

products. Such incentives may be oered to residential and commercial

property owners. Rebates and other nancia l incentives are used by many

jurisdictions from local governments to the federal government. One law

rm has created a list of state and federa l incentives that are oered across

the countr y.6 Ordinances incentivizing energ y and water ecient products

may work in collaboration with several ordinances promoting renewable

energies, thus addressing both the demand and supply side (for ordinances

promoting renewable energies see Renewable Energy with Incentives).7