Many of the "Modern" commercial buildings in the Chicago area are
now more than 40 years old. "Vintage" buildings may date back to
the 1920s and a few remaining "Classic" buildings
were here before the turn of the 20th Century.
A large percentage of these buildings are still operating with their
original equipment and are therefore paying a tremendous premium
for energy wastes.
Deferred maintenance or the simple aging of equipment means that
older buildings are not even operating at their original design efficiency – as
low as that may have been.
The majority of the energy saving innovations for commercial buildings are a result of the energy crisis of the mid 1970s. Only a small percentage of Chicago commercial spaces have taken full advantage of the energy saving potential of these advanced technologies. As energy prices climb, the cost penalty of operating with aging and outdated equipment will soar.
Learn more about the impact of
rising fuel prices (800K PDF). |