Portland – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley toured Portland State University’s Green Building Lab today and learned about the university’s groundbreaking research and development of sustainable building technologies that will help transform America’s energy economy.
“Energy efficiency is a gift that keeps on giving,” said Merkley. “Making our homes and buildings more energy efficient saves money, reduces our energy consumption and creates jobs for folks who need them,” said Merkley. “Portland State University’s innovation is strengthening Oregon’s role as a leader in the sustainable building industry.”
The Green Building Research Laboratory serves as a teaching resource to students who are studying sustainable building and science and is an Oregon University System collaboration, helping to develop innovative new approaches for reducing buildings’ carbon footprint. The green building lab currently tests and monitors indoor environmental quality and analyzes the energy efficiency of buildings and their components.
Buildings in the United States currently account for nearly forty percent of both the country’s energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. Portland is second only to Chicago for the number of certified green buildings in the city.
Recently Senator Merkley, joined by Senator Lugar (R-IN), introduced the Clean Energy for Homes and Buildings Act, based on an Oregon program, to help homeowners and businesses save energy and cut their energy bills by offering low-interest loans for energy-efficient building upgrades.
English 
Spanish