Worldwide, buildings consume roughly 30 percent of the energy produced and delivered. USAID and Vietnam’s Ministry of Construction (MOC) have worked together for four years to study buildings and identify opportunities to apply the latest technologies and materials to save energy in Vietnam’s rapidly growing building sector. On September 12, USAID supported MOC to open a Building Energy Simulation Lab in Hanoi by providing lab equipment. This lab will help the ministry collect, analyze and maintain data for socio-economic energy research, analysis and policy making. It will also provide a platform to help train staff from the Ministry and other training institutes and universities on how to incorporate building energy efficiency simulation in their building designs. So What? As USAID works with Vietnam to achieve climate smart development, saving energy by constructing energy efficient buildings will help curb the country’s rapidly growing demand for power, improve its air quality, and strengthen its energy security.