We developed programs, preliminary designs, and sustainability plans for 4 buildings that use 70% less energy than they would have if they had been traditionally designed.  This high level of energy savings was accomplished through using regenerative techniques that are incorporated into the buildings and site design. 
Three of the buildings were built on the Mississippi State University campus.  Similar campus classroom and administrative buildings used 45 kWh of energy per square foot, per year.  The regenerative techniques in our 3 buildings reduced the energy used to 12 kWh per square foot per year.  This amounts to a yearly savings of $18,500 in electrical energy cost!  The additional cost for inclusion of regenerative techniques generally ranges from 0% - 15%.  

Buildings use 75% of the energy used in the United States and of that amount 50% is for heating and cooling those buildings.  The 29 steps in the following energy use reduction system we created saved 70% of the energy normally used, and can potentially reduce the use of fossil fuel energy in the U.S.  This would create more jobs for an energy conserving building industry, save and reallocate money spent on energy, and reduce the U.S. contribution of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere!

As we developed the energy use reduction system we also wrote a book that fully explains the regenerative techniques that can be used to become more sustainable and dramatically reduce energy use.  It is titled Regenerative Design Techniques by Pete Melby and Tom Cathcart and published by John Wiley and Sons.  This book is referenced in the explanations of the regenerative techniques we used to accomplish 70% energy savings in our 4 buildings.  The Energy Use Reduction system we developed is for buildings and landscapes in the hot-humid climate zone.  If you live outside of this climate zone, many of the techniques could still work for you but it would be advisable to get a building professional to adapt the regenerative techniques to your climate zone. 

Good luck with your building and landscape planning.  We are excited to share the processes we used to accomplish 70% energy savings.

Sincerely,

Pete Melby, ASLA    Click Here to View the 30 Ways to Save                  

Landscape Architect