Search Climate Insights Directory

This document provides a collection of lease excerpts from various Net Zero Energy (NZE) buildings, illustrating legal language used to manage energy budgets, submetering, recommissioning, and the recovery of capital improvements for energy efficiency.

This report summarizes the results of a public consultation held from May 9 to June 30, 2022, regarding the Renewable Energy (RE) Emissions Score V1.0. Developed by RMI's Climate Intelligence Program as part of the Horizon Zero Project, the score is a sector-agnostic tool designed to quantify the real-world emissions reductions driven by renewable energy procurement, serving as a supplement to traditional Scope 2 reporting.

This appendix details the methodology and results of a study conducted by OTS R&D, Inc. between August and December 2025 to evaluate the short-term performance of heat pump systems using virgin, reclaimed, and recovered R-410A refrigerants. The study found no statistically significant performance penalty when using reclaimed refrigerant that meets AHRI 700 purity standards.

The Reinventing Fire (RF) transportation analysis outlines a methodology to estimate the techno-economic potential for efficiency gains in the U.S. transportation sector from 2010 to 2050. The report details modeling approaches for four subsectors—autos, heavy trucks, airplanes, and remaining sectors—focusing on 'Improved Design' and 'Improved Use' pathways to reduce fossil fuel consumption. It also includes a model for biofuel supply and cost, and calculates the overall societal net present value of these transitions.

This document outlines the analytical methodology and specific utility-level assumptions used by RMI to estimate changes in residential utility bills under various tariff structures during electrification. The analysis utilizes NREL's ResStock dataset for building load profiles and integrates tariff data from Genability and RateAcuity, with specific adjustments made for utilities in Minnesota, Maryland, Maine, and Massachusetts to ensure consistency and accuracy in bill calculations.

This guide provides a five-step checklist for utilities to engage underserved communities in the clean energy transition, focusing on identification, inclusive participation, accessible input processes, co-design of programs, and data-driven progress tracking.

This research paper by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) investigates the relationship between vehicle weight and safety, challenging the perception that lighter vehicles are inherently more dangerous. Using a virtually modeled ultralight concept vehicle (the 'UltraLight') compared against a 2007 Ford Edge, the study demonstrates that while an unoptimized ultralight design may offer less protection to its own driver, it is significantly less aggressive toward other road users and can be improved through iterative design without adding mass.

This research paper by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) analyzes the gap in industrial electric productivity across the United States. It argues that while exogenous factors like electricity prices and state incentives play a role, the primary constraints are internal business barriers. By addressing these barriers through holistic design and policy support, the U.S. industrial sector could save 300,000 GWh annually.

This report by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) examines the inefficiencies within the U.S. heavy-duty trucking industry, specifically Class 7 and 8 trucks. It identifies a fragmented value chain and cultural barriers as primary obstacles to efficiency, while asserting that existing technology could double trucking efficiency through improvements in platform, operations, and regulation.

The document, titled "The Origins of the Nuclear Power Fiasco," is a critical analysis of the failure of the U.S. civilian nuclear power industry. It argues that the industry collapsed due to a combination of structural and conceptual errors, including the promotion of economic myths, a failure to account for the real costs of safety and waste management, and a federal energy policy that prioritized hardware development over energy efficiency and market reality.

This research paper by Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) argues that Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) is a superior financial tool compared to simple payback analysis for evaluating energy efficiency measures (EEMs) in building construction and retrofits. The authors advocate for a comprehensive four-step LCCA process—establishing a baseline, defining EEMs, calculating financial metrics, and bundling measures—to capture synergistic benefits and avoid sub-optimal design choices.

Amory Lovins responds to a critique by William Tucker regarding the economic viability of nuclear power, asserting that new U.S. reactors lack a business case and are unable to attract private capital despite significant subsidies.

This research paper by RMI outlines strategies for integrating energy modeling throughout the four main phases of building design—concept, schematic design, design development, and construction documentation—to move beyond simple code compliance and actively minimize energy use.

This statement by Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) responds to a Wall Street Journal op-ed by RADM Robert G. James, defending the U.S. Department of Defense's (DoD) pursuit of energy efficiency and renewable energy as a matter of national security and combat effectiveness.

The Reinventing Fire industry model methodology outlines a stock-flow framework used to simulate the financial and energy implications of transitioning the U.S. industrial sector from coal and oil to cleaner alternatives by 2050, utilizing AEO 2010 data and LBNL efficiency metrics.

This pre-read document, authored by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), provides a comprehensive overview of the building energy modeling (BEM) industry in the United States to prepare attendees for the BEM Innovation Summit. It details the history of BEM, identifies systemic barriers to quality and credibility, analyzes the current state of simulation tools and practitioner training, and explores market drivers such as LEED certification and federal energy regulations.

This research paper by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and PG&E examines the challenges and opportunities presented by the rise of zero net energy (ZNE) buildings and distributed energy resources (DERs). It argues that traditional utility business models and volumetric rate structures are poorly adapted to a bidirectional power system, potentially leading to economic inefficiencies and equity issues. The authors propose a framework for solutions based on rigorous impact measurement, the use of price signals to align incentives, and the evolution of utility business models toward either incentive-based regulation or a network utility model.

The provided text consists of fragmented pages from a Rocky Mountain Institute report titled "REINVENTING FIRE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA," containing primarily headers and two data visualizations regarding emergency energy savings and solar PV costs.

This briefing by RMI outlines the technical, economic, and institutional barriers to the widespread adoption of carbon fiber composites in the U.S. automotive industry. It proposes a collaborative approach to transition from individual part substitution to full composite body-in-white construction to improve fuel efficiency and reduce oil dependence.

This document is a rebuttal by Amory B. Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) to an article and subsequent response by Charles C. Mann in The Atlantic. Lovins argues that Mann ignores the role of efficiency and technological innovation in reducing oil demand and misrepresents the reliability and economic viability of renewable energy, specifically in Germany.