The world is a different place today, because of RMI and our supporters.
And as there is still work to be done, we are focused on driving even more change. Despite the urgent demands of the future, we reflect with pride on the Institute’s accomplishments over the last 30 years. Especially because these accomplishments wouldn't be possible without the partnership of our supporters.
And while we have many examples of impact over our history, the following examples are recent successes, we would like to share.
Project Get Ready—Getting Cities Ready for Electric Vehicles
Project Get Ready works to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles by focusing on city readiness. PGR helps policy, business (including utility) and civic leaders understand the actions necessary to get ready for EDVs. Through PGR, RMI convenes partner cities regularly to collaborate on finding solutions to key EV challenges.
PGR monitors and evaluates the progress of each of our cities. Cities are rated for their plan content, charging station permitting, comprehensive education programs, and general attitude about the rollout of electric vehicles. Based on a study for EV readiness conducted by Roland Berger, an independent consulting firm with significant expertise in the automotive industry, PGR cities on average score above the other top 50 cities in planning, attitude, permitting, and education. PGR cities and regions have made enough progress to earn a spot as some of the earliest EV deployment communities. With a fleet of EVs on the ground months, and potentially years, before the rest of the country, these cities are key areas of learning.
Solar Balance of System Success with the Department of Energy
RMI excels at breaking down the barriers that block the path toward a world free of fossil fuels. We identified the balance of system (BoS) costs—all of the related solar energy system costs besides the solar panels themselves—as a key threat to widespread solar adoption and got to work finding a solution. The result? Increased focus on bringing down the BoS cost from within the solar industry and at the Department of Energy—illustrated in the map of our solar success.
"Deep Retrofit" of the Empire State Building
RMI seeks to amplify its reach by identifying powerful partners who have tough problems. Then, by learning how to solve them together, we can create teachable cases and competitive pressure for others to follow suit. The decision to reposition the world’s most famous office building as a leading example of an economically viable, energy efficient commercial retrofit was made for its potential to fundamentally disrupt the market.
In 2009, the owners of one of New York City's most iconic buildings—the Empire State building—partnered with Rocky Mountain Institute to do a "deep retrofit" of the structure.
The result? A 38 percent savings in the building’s energy, a $4.4 million savings annually, and a clear statement to the rest of the country's building owners and managers that energy efficiency is just smart business. Read the full "true story".
View a history of key successes over the years