5 Key Solutions to Transform the Built Environment

This fact sheet from RMI outlines the energy inefficiency of the United States building stock and presents five key solutions to transform the built environment, as detailed in the publication 'Reinventing Fire'.

• Buildings in the United States are highly energy-intensive, with 120 million buildings accounting for 42 percent of total national energy consumption and 72 percent of electricity use, costing $400 billion annually to power and fuel.
• RMI identifies five primary solutions for transforming the built environment: the wide adoption of energy-efficiency technologies, integrative design, next-generation building policies, low-cost and accessible financing, and the valuation of non-energy benefits.
• The U.S. government operates nearly 3 billion square feet of building space. RMI is collaborating with the General Services Administration (GSA) and private partners to target energy savings exceeding 50 percent.

APA

RMI (2011). 5 Key Solutions to Transform the Built Environment. https://rmi.org/resources/5_key_solutions_transform_built_environment/

Chicago

RMI. 5 Key Solutions to Transform the Built Environment. 2011. https://rmi.org/resources/5_key_solutions_transform_built_environment/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=5 Key Solutions to Transform the Built Environment |date=13 December 2011 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/5_key_solutions_transform_built_environment/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2011key, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{5 Key Solutions to Transform the Built Environment}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2011}, month = dec, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/5_key_solutions_transform_built_environment/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }