Domestic manufacturing of energy-efficient products is suffering major declines. A new report, Energy Efficiency Should be Made in the United States, revealed a significant change in production. In 2007, 84 percent of energy-efficient products used in the United States were manufactured domestically. The data found that today the U.S.-made percentage has fallen to 79 percent. The biggest declines were seen in Appliances down 11 percent and Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Cooling (HVAC) systems down 10 percent.
“Deindustrialization has hurt families and communities and cut off pathways into the middle class,” said BlueGreen Alliance Foundation President Jason Walsh. “Sending these jobs overseas has gutted manufacturing communities across the nation. These findings highlight the importance of turning this statistic around by investing in domestically produced energy efficiency products.”
Earlier this year, the ban on incandescent bulbs went into effect. With this development we expected the manufacturing of incandescent bulbs to cease and a rise in LED production. It is true, incandescent lighting has been relegated to specialty uses and almost all U.S. manufacturing has disappeared. In fact, the steady decline of incandescent bulbs, CFLs, fluorescent tubes, and parts and components, has had far reaching effects for several years. LEDs continue to take the place of less efficient fluorescent lighting as consumers are willing to pay the higher up-front costs for more energy-efficient products in their buildings. Since lighting accounts for 20 percent of the world’s electricity consumption the shift was warranted but the method of execution is still up for debate.
“Outsourcing and disinvestment is pushing the manufacturing of appliances, HVAC components, and other needed technologies outside the United States,” said BlueGreen Alliance Foundation National Program Manager Dana Saylor. “The domestic manufacturing of energy efficiency products is integral to building a strong, clean, fair economy for all.”
How much will the discontinued use of less efficient products and the subsequent outsourcing hurt the manufacturing industry, jobs and the economy?
