Green Building Public Awareness Campaign Plan外文翻译.pdfVIP

January 25, 2008 Green Building Public Awareness Campaign Plan Prepared by Florida Solar Energy Center Focus Florida’s per-household consumption of electricity is among the highest in the United States, largely because the state’s hot and humid weather drives up electricity demand for air-conditioning. Florida builds an average of 160,000 new homes each year, and housing currently totals 7.3 million. Census Bureau data reveals that Florida will rank third in terms of population in 2010. With these growing numbers, the construction of energy-efficient buildings alone would significantly reduce Florida’s energy consumption. Energy efficient improvements to existing homes would have an even greater impact. “Green” building programs seek to maximize performance rather than comply with minimum codes. Beyond-code programs such as these also tend to address the number one obstacle to energy-efficient homes – quality control of installed energy components. While it is true that codes impact the largest number of new buildings, some of the voluntary programs are gaining market share because consumers and builders are interested in “doing what’s right.” There clearly is a surge in consumer appetite for information about energy efficiency. According to the National Association of Business Journalists, the number of news reports about ‘green business practices’ more than doubled in the last year, and has grown by almost 800 percent in the last five years in the countrys top 10 newspapers. At the same time, it is generally recognized that consumers have difficulty: • Deciphering what “works” and what “doesn’t work” in terms of energy-efficient and water-saving strategies for their homes. • Determining the rate of return on costs for energy-efficiency and water- conservation products and appliances. • Understanding in simple terms how their d