The push for energy efficiency is not just an eco-friendly initiative, but also one with some noteworthy financial considerations – and businesses are beginning to take notice. On June 14, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) wrote President Obama a letter requesting that the White House invest more into energy efficient federal buildings.

Two years ago, the Obama Administration launched the Better Buildings Challenge to make $2 billion in energy efficiency improvements to commercial and industrial facilities. The program does not use taxpayer dollars, and instead covers the upfront costs of green power upgrades with the money being saved in reducing energy bills. Now, NAM is urging the government to push for further efficiency programs.

The Energy Collective, a community of energy research professionals, reports that the NAM letter suggests additional conservation measures that would bring down the collective costs of federal building utilities, asking for the ultimate goal of allocating another $1 billion toward energy expenses over the next five years – as well as preventing taxpayer money from being used on "unnecessary energy expenditures." While some may find this ambition overly aggressive, an energy audit of governmental agencies in past years has revealed "more than $9 billion in addressable energy efficiency measures," making the federal government a prime and necessary target for these upgrades. 

As NAM blogger Chip Yost writes, the strive for energy efficiency in federal buildings will have a ripple effect that will eventually lead to improvements being made in commercial and private buildings as well.

Virginia and Maryland residents can make their own push for efficiency at home by consulting with a home inspection contractor. These professionals will conduct an energy audit of your property, determining where and how you can make upgrades to reduce your utility costs.