Builders and residents of Chicago take energy efficiency seriously

When analyzed on its energy efficient-related initiatives and actions, the city of Chicago ranks among the nation's best performing markets. According to analysis from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), Chicago is the sixth-most energy efficient city largely because of its energy and water utilities operations, along with its building policies. Overall, the city garnered a score of 69.5 out of 100 from the ACEEE. The aforementioned operations and policies accounted for 37.5 of those points. When it comes to energy and water utilities, the city recently received attention because of a public-private partnership that involves smart thermostat manufacturers ecobee and Nest Labs, along with Northern Illinois utility providers ComEd, Nicor Gas, Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas. Under the initiative, purchasers of ecobee3 and the Nest Learning thermostats are eligible for up to $120 in rebates ($100 per thermostat and an additional $20 from gas utili...