Reports / Reports

United States Building Energy Efficiency Retrofits

Upgrading and replacing energy-consuming equipment in buildings offers an important capital investment opportunity, with the potential for significant economic, climate, and employment impacts. In the United States alone, more than $279 billion
could be invested across the residential, commercial, and institutional market segments. This investment could yield more
than $1 trillion of energy savings over 10 years, equivalent to savings of approximately 30 percent of the annual electricity spend in the United States. If all of these retrofits were undertaken, more than 3.3 million cumulative job years of employment could be created. These jobs would include a range of skill qualifications, and would be geographically diverse across the United States. Additionally, if all of these retrofits were successfully undertaken, it would reduce U.S. emissions by nearly 10 percent. The potential employment and climate benefits presented by energy efficiency retrofits have led The Rockefeller Foundation to explore a program initiative in this area, and to partner with Deutsche Bank Climate Change Advisors to produce this research report as a publicly-available resource for all interested stakeholders.