Pillar Two: Buildings as Positive Power Plants

The construction industry is the largest industrial employer in many countries, and buildings are the major contributor to human induced global warming. Worldwide, buildings emit 30 to 40 percent of CO2 emissions and are responsible for consuming 30 to 40 percent of all energy. New technological breakthroughs are making it possible to design and construct buildings that create all of their own energy from locally available renewable energy sources, and even re-conceptualize buildings as "power plants". In twenty-five years, millions of buildings — homes, offices, shopping malls, industrial and technology parks — will be renovated and constructed to collect and generate energy to provide for their own power and produce surplus energy.

World's Leading Architects Embrace Buildings as Power Plants