Commercial buildings consume nearly one fifth of the nation's
energy. But that could change dramatically if by 2025 all new office
and retail buildings generate as much energy as they use.
That's the goal of the U.S. Department of Energy's Zero-Net Energy
Commercial Building Initiative, announced earlier this month. The efforts support the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007,
which calls for spending up to $200 million per year by 2013 to
accelerate the development of high-performance green buildings.