Fast Facts

Provides useful statistics to help understand the important role commercial and industrial facilities play in global climate change.

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Facts About Energy Use in Commercial and Industrial Facilities

  • Combined number of commercial buildings (4.8 million) and industrial facilities (350,000) in the United States: over 5 million1
  • Combined annual energy costs for U.S. commercial buildings ($107.9 billion) and industrial facilities ($94.4 billion): $202.3 billion2
  • Portion of energy in buildings used inefficiently or unnecessarily:
    30 percent3
  • Combined percentage of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions generated by commercial buildings (17 percent) and industrial facilities (28 percent):
    45 percent4
  • Percentage of energy use reduction targeted by the ENERGY STAR Challenge: 10 percent5
  • Amount of money that would be saved if the energy efficiency of commercial and industrial buildings improved by 10 percent: $20 billion6
  • Amount of greenhouse gas emissions that would be reduced if the energy efficiency of commercial and industrial buildings improved by 10 percent: equal to about 30 million vehicles7
  • Number of registered automobiles in Illinois, New York, Ohio, and Texas combined: about 30 million8

Global Energy Facts

  • The approximate energy released in the burning of a wood match: 1 Btu9
  • Total energy used in the U.S. each year: 99.89 quadrillion Btu10
  • Portion of U.S. annual energy use created by the combustion of fossil fuels: 86 percent11
  • Amount of global carbon dioxide (CO2) released into the atmosphere in 2005: 6,000 million metric tons12
  • U.S. contribution of global greenhouse gas emissions: about 20 percent13
  • U.S. population relative to the world: 5 percent14
  • Amount greenhouse gas emissions have increased between 1970 and 2004: 70 percent15
  • Period of time in which 11 of the 12 warmest years on record have occurred: 1995 to 200616
List of Sources