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Since buildings account for nearly 50 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions today, many in the design and construction industry have rallied around sustainable construction in the effort to reduce these emissions. And while sustainability is the major force shaping construction today, energy efficiency and sustainable energy often have the greatest impact on just how "green" a building actually is.

The National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) recently convened its first Energy Solutions Summit, July 25-26, in Los Angeles, to address how the electrical construction industry will respond to the rapidly growing demand for more efficient energy systems and alternative energy sources. More that 30 NECA contractors with experience in sustainable building projects were invited to the Summit chaired by Rex Ferry, NECA president-elect, to offer their insight and prospective on the future of green electrical construction.

"We're at a crossroads where the rising costs of energy and the emerging technologies to actually do something about those costs have met," Ferry said. "Green construction, energy-efficiency, and renewable and alternative energy all present opportunities and challenges for building owners, facility managers, developers, and the contractors who work for them."

One challenge for building owners, facility managers and developers is how to get the greatest return for their investment in sustainable construction.

"Reducing the power it takes for a building to operate is usually the first step an owner can take to cut operating costs, while also reduce a building's environmental impact," said Dick Nogleberg, Placer Electric, Sacramento. "Energy-efficient systems are an important aspect of [USGBC] LEED ratings, but their real attractiveness to building owners lies in the money they can save over the life of a building.