At the turn of the 2010s, the term "deep energy retrofit" was widely unheard of with little media fanfare, academic discussion or financial investments boosting its profile. There were also very few examples of the process for someone to reference. 

But 2014 has seen deep energy retrofits blossom into a growing industry with companies mired in a heated competition to establish themselves as leading providers of the service, each trying to prove an ability to save more power and money for potential customers. One of the most significant examples of this procedure, which has garnered much of the new media attention, inspired new financial investments and launched widespread academic discussion, is the Empire State Building. 

Superficially, the Empire State Building seems like an unappealing candidate to show off the possibilities and benefits of energy conservation, but an intricate assortment of conservation measures applied to the iconic structure have managed to reduce its power consumption by more than 38 percent. This outcome has validated the case that deep energy retrofits can make a difference in how any building consumes energy, offering possibilities for more efficient remodeling. 

Iain Campbell is vice president of Global Energy and WorkPlace Solutions for Johnson Controls Building Efficiency, the company which won the Empire State Building contract. He tells GreenBiz that, "The success from the Empire State Building retrofit project further demonstrates that thoughtfully applied energy-efficiency investments can deliver unparalleled returns through a combination of lower energy, lower operating costs, and increased building valuation." 

With renewable energy initiatives ever growing in popularity, the success of the Empire State Building is serving as a model for building retrofits throughout the country.

If you live in the Virginia or Washington, D.C., area and are interested in assessing your home or property's power consumption needs, schedule an energy audit with leading home inspection company Alban Inspections!