Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4801) to require the Secretary of Energy to prepare a report on the impact of thermal insulation on both energy and water use for…
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4801) to require the Secretary of Energy to prepare a report on the impact of thermal insulation on both energy and water use for potable hot water.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials in the Record on the bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I thank the Speaker for the time today to discuss H.R. 4801, the Thermal Insulation Efficiency Improvement Act.
Today, millions of gallons of water and energy are wasted due to heating losses that could be prevented through the increased use of thermal insulation. The purpose of this legislation is to help identify opportunities in which we can maximize energy and water efficiency through the minimization of waste in our Federal facilities.
With the Federal Government being the single-largest consumer of energy in the country, the potential savings from the increased use of thermal insulation has the potential to be very significant in the amount of resources, both natural and financial, that can be saved.
For example, we have seen what the benefits of mechanical insulation maintenance in commercial buildings can be, with savings potentially topping $4.8 billion annually. That is enough energy savings to light nearly 4 million homes per year.
Up to this point, there have only been small-scale studies conducted to show the benefits such insulation can have on water and energy resources that are otherwise being wasted. The potential increase in energy efficiency is tremendous, as has been shown through the use of mechanical insulation, but this has not yet been demonstrated on a large scale.
That is why I introduced H.R. 4801 with Congressman McNerney. This legislation takes a step in the right direction in demonstrating the benefits of thermal insulation not only to the private sector, but to show the Federal Government how it can increase energy
efficiency and cost savings by applying these techniques in our Federal facilities. The bill does this by simply having the Department of Energy compile a study on the impact of thermal insulation on both energy and hot and cold water systems in Federal buildings.
I believe the addition of thermal insulation to the proper systems in our Federal facilities is both a relatively simple yet cost-effective way to reduce heat gains and losses that result in money simply going up in thin air. Estimates also show that thermal insulation saves up to 500 times more energy over its lifespan than its cost, which translates into fairly generous returns on energy efficiency. Simply put, thermal insulation saves energy, water, and money.
Once again, I urge passage of this bill.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, once again, I want to thank Congressman McNerney for working with me diligently on this. I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and I urge passage of the bill.
I yield back the balance of my time.
