Energy professionals, urban planners and policymakers are collaborating to fight persistent issues with outdated infrastructure. The U.S. demands modernization, primarily as power demands spike and efficiency drops. Systems will only continue to age and erode. What are the most prominent concerns jeopardizing electricity transmission, and what can you do to compensate for degrading equipment?
Deterioration of Retrofitted Insulation
A study of German homes demonstrated what happens when insulation degrades over time. Estimates suggest equipment will use 18.4%-47.1% more energy over the next two decades than households with recently replaced insulation.
You can seal cracks, add panes to windows and fix roofs, but insulation is one of the most prominent influences on envelope integrity. As it thins, heating and cooling become more strenuous, eventually leading to mechanical failure and replacements in addition to insulation costs.
Regular equipment and insulation inspections are the best way to catch early compromises. When it is time to replace it, contractors can recommend more eco-friendly or biodegradable options with a longer life cycle. Options include upcycled mattresses, mycelium, wool, cellulose and more.
Old Electrical Infrastructure
Energy has one of the lowest grades on the 2025 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure. Its D+ rating is due to minimal hardening measures, natural disasters and insufficient replacements. Natural and human influences cause transmission lines, transformers, controllers, and even plants to lose efficiency as wear and tear diminishes output and load-management potential. Infrastructure also overheats when it degrades, producing more waste heat than necessary.
Your teams must protect power lines by putting them underground, upgrading transformers to greener versions and deploying smart grid technologies to identify maintenance opportunities. These measures protect essential infrastructure while adding greater oversight.
Leaks in Water Distribution Systems
Water systems are enduring more stressors. Contaminants are increasing in density and diversity, eroding ancient pipes until they crack. The losses demand more electricity from multiple places. Controllers must exert more force to send water through failing systems, and treatment plants need more energy and resources to clean polluted water.
Selecting the right alloy is crucial for making it last as long as possible while remaining compliant with standards like ISO. For example, duplex stainless steels are ideal for water handling because they have a lower risk of corrosion despite chloride and high pressure.
Leak detection and sensors can also transform infrastructure. They enable you to view system health, biofilm buildup, corrosion and losses without invasive techniques.
Failing HVAC Equipment
Like electrical systems, neglecting HVAC upgrades wastes power and causes other building systems to operate inefficiently, including boilers and heat pumps. The HVAC influences the productivity of all structural utilities, making it one of the most urgent opportunities for improvement.
Smart HVAC systems are another necessity for infrastructure degradation. Operating cost savings can be up to 10% because of efficiency enhancements and consumption cuts.
Investing in Efficiency
The up-front costs for fixing these systems are high, but the return on investment will be one of the greatest the nation will experience. As the climate becomes more unpredictable and extreme, critical infrastructure must withstand the forces without damage while managing increased loads. You must advocate for policies and standardization and share knowledge between sectors to forge resilience.
About the author: Ellie is a science writer specialising in astronomy and environmental science and is the Associate Editor of Revolutionized.
Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 