It's no secret that energy efficiency is popular with both penny-pinchers and environmentalists. The efforts to go green among American households and businesses have always been driven by some combination of wanting to save money and reduce harmful carbon dioxide emissions. This year, President Barack Obama implemented his Climate Action Plan, which calls for doubling the country's energy productivity by 2030, a feat that would generate billions in saved utility expenses and contribute significantly to economic growth. As we move toward that goal, a new report shows that the U.S. is already slowly but surely becoming one of the world's leaders in energy efficiency.

Citing new data from the International Energy Agency (IEA), Bloomberg reports that the U.S. has already achieved an above-average rating in generating renewable power. Gains or losses in sustainability are measured by the IEA in terms of $1,000 per economic output. According to the IEA's latest study, while green energy output in the U.S. dropped by 4.8 percent this past year, the figure is still 15 percent greater than that of the average IEA member country.

"Having accomplished a solid decade of often double-digit growth, U.S. energy-efficiency markets have grown from a footnote to a force to be reckoned with," the IEA wrote in their report. 

The agency added that, with the implementation of further efficiency measures, the country stands to more than triple its power savings in 2020 compared to 2011.

Washington, D.C., homeowners can hop on the eco-friendly bandwagon themselves by scheduling an appointment for a home inspection. Locally based, qualified DC home inspectors can perform an energy audit of your property, helping to identify sources of energy waste, which – when corrected – can reap significant savings on utility bills.