[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 72 (Friday, May 18, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E852]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               RECOGNIZING HIGH PERFORMANCE BUILDING WEEK

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                          HON. DANIEL LIPINSKI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 18, 2012

  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize America's engineers, 
architects, and skilled workforce who construct our new state-of-the-
art new buildings and to speak in support of H.R. 2866, the Mechanical 
Insulation Installation Incentive Act.
  Next week is High-Performance Building Week, and America's leading 
trade groups will come together to promote their efforts to design, 
build, and maintain buildings to a higher level of performance. 
Throughout the week, the High-Performance Building Congressional Caucus 
Coalition--a diverse group of building professionals--will hold a 
number of briefings on high-performance basics and new technological 
breakthroughs, conduct tours of local green roofs, and offer other 
outreach opportunities. These activities will remind attendees that 
these buildings are not only attainable, but can improve the quality of 
our lives.
  High-performance buildings have eight specific attributes that ensure 
that the buildings are designed for the people they serve and the 
environment they impact. These buildings should be accessible, cost-
effective, functional, productive, safe, sustainable, aesthetically 
pleasing, and mindful of historic preservation.
  While all of the attributes of high-performance buildings are 
important, efficiency and cost-effectiveness are increasingly vital 
given the rising costs of energy. H.R. 2866, the Mechanical Insulation 
Installation Incentive Act, will help alleviate these rising costs, 
promoting the construction of truly high-performance buildings. H.R. 
2866 will create tax incentives to encourage commercial and industrial 
entities to go beyond current minimum building requirements--as set by 
the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning 
Engineers--in new construction or retrofit projects, and to also keep 
up with regular and timely maintenance of their mechanical insulation 
systems.
  Over a five-year period, these incentives have the potential to save 
American companies $35 billion in energy costs and reduce our 
CO2 emissions by 170 million metric tons. In addition, this 
bill will not only help building owners save money and use less 
resources, it will also create jobs. It is estimated that this 
initiative could support the development of more than 89,000 
sustainable jobs for skilled craft personnel to install and maintain 
mechanical insulation systems.
  H.R. 2866 is just one step this body can take to help achieve all 
these goals and make our country more competitive. During High-
Performance Building Week, I encourage my colleagues to learn more 
about the work of building professionals and join me in supporting this 
measure. Our residential, commercial and industrial buildings are more 
than just places where we live, work, and shop. They can inspire us and 
reflect our values, and be engines for energy independence and job 
creation.

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