Using less energy today can save money and improve the quality of the environment for future generations. RAND has informed public awareness and policy with research on such topics as energy use in commercial buildings, household energy conservation, the conflict between energy conservation and productivity in schools and offices, and the potential to reduce the energy requirements of U.S. commercial airlines.
REPORT
By examining not only how a service is produced but how it is provided, energy services analysis can lead to greater reductions in energy use and greenhouse gas emissions than conventional approaches.
PROJECT
Energy plays a vital role in the success of the global economy, but obtaining and using energy can also impact the environment. RAND researchers in the Environment, Energy, and Economic Development Program help policymakers worldwide make informed decisions on meeting their nations' energy needs while mitigating long-term life cycle environmental risks.
REPORT
U.S. Army installation energy costs around the globe totaled more than $1.2 billion in 2010. Collaborating with energy utility companies could help the Army to decrease energy usage, lower costs, and meet legislative mandates. The benefits for utility companies include energy conservation and support for renewable energy technologies.
RESEARCH BRIEF
Explores how the Army can improve collaboration with utility companies to reduce energy consumption on its installations and help meet other Army energy goals.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
To reduce air emission and oil dependency impacts from passenger vehicles, strategies to promote adoption of hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) and plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles with small battery packs offer more social benefits per dollar spent.
REPORT
This paper explores how much British citizens might be willing to pay for carbon emissions reduction, and the implication of this for climate change policies.
REPORT
Examines the potential for better feedback on electricity usage to reduce household energy consumption.
MULTIMEDIA
In this April 12, 2010, Congressional Briefing, Ambassador Charles Ries discusses lessons the United States could learn from the experiences of the European Union and Australia in driving energy efficiency in the building sector.
NEWS RELEASE
Israel can make natural gas usage a bigger part of its energy portfolio without jeopardizing its security, but even more importantly, the nation needs to make conservation measures a priority in its future energy plans.
REPORT
Israel can make natural gas usage a bigger part of its energy portfolio without jeopardizing its security, but even more importantly, the nation needs to make conservation measures a priority in its future energy plans.
COMMENTARY
If the United States is to be a global competitor in green building technology, it needs to learn from some of the countries that are at the table in Pittsburgh this week, writes Charles Ries.
NEWS RELEASE
The United States can become more energy efficient and create more "green" jobs by adopting some of the strategies used by the European Union and Australia to rate and disclose the performance of commercial and government-owned buildings.
REPORT
The United States can become more energy efficient and create more "green" jobs by adopting some of the strategies used by the European Union and Australia to rate and disclose the performance of commercial and government-owned buildings.
COMMENTARY
The economic slowdown threatens to put a crimp in ambitious efforts to balance preservation, transportation improvements and development in western Riverside County. It doesn't have to. Actually, it presents an opportunity, writes Lloyd Dixon.
NEWS RELEASE
Western Riverside County's Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan -- a sweeping effort to protect endangered and threatened species while accelerating the approval of transportation improvements -- has made significant progress, but needs modifying to reach its goals in Southern California's changing economy.
REPORT
Western Riverside County's Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan—a sweeping effort to protect endangered and threatened species while accelerating the approval of transportation improvements—has made significant progress, but needs modifying to reach its goals in Southern California's changing economy.
NEWS RELEASE
Dramatic progress in renewable energy technology is needed if the United States desires to produce 25 percent of its electricity and motor vehicle fuel from renewable sources by 2025 without significantly increasing consumer costs.
REPORT
Evaluating the cost-effectiveness of water-efficiency programs can be difficult, because not all the benefits are easily quantified. An economic framework based on two tools from the California Urban Water Conservation Council helps estimate the avoided costs and environmental benefits of increasing water-use efficiency.
REPORT
The amount of water a typical commercial building needs to provide essential services is highly variable. A new framework and tool provides a convenient way to consider the potential value of water-efficiency investments under price uncertainty without collecting extensive data or hiring a consultant.
RESEARCH BRIEF
This fact sheet describes a case study of commercial-building water efficiency and the Building Water Efficiency Analysis Model used to conduct it. The model allows convenient assessment of potential value of water-efficiency investments.
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