The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has taken a significant step towards decarbonizing buildings across the country with the unveiling of the first national definition of a zero-emission building.
This definition is aimed at providing industry guidance to support both new and existing commercial and residential buildings in their transition towards zero emissions within the entire sector. By establishing a minimum criterion for adoption by public and private entities, the DOE aims to ensure uniformity in the pursuit of sustainable building practices.
This announcement comes on the heels of the DOE’s ambitious blueprint to slash U.S. building emissions by 65% by 2035 and an unprecedented 90% by 2050. The task ahead is formidable, given the sheer volume of buildings in the U.S.—with close to 130 million existing structures, and projections indicating the construction of more than 40 million new homes and 60 billion square feet of commercial space by 2050. The operational costs of these existing buildings already exceed $400 billion annually for heating, cooling, lighting, and power.
One of the key challenges identified by DOE officials is the prevalence of inefficient windows in buildings, leading occupants to rely more heavily on heating and cooling systems, consequently elevating carbon emissions. According to Jared Langevin and Eric Wilson, the minds behind the DOE’s carbon emissions reduction blueprint, retrofitting commercial building envelope components at the current pace would take over a century to complete. To align with the DOE’s 2050 targets, the retrofit rate must increase significantly—up to 25 times by 2030.
The initial part of DOE’s definition focuses on operational emissions stemming from energy use. It outlines specific criteria necessary to ascertain if a building truly achieves zero emissions from its energy consumption during operations. A zero-emission building, as per this definition, must demonstrate high energy efficiency, a complete absence of on-site emissions from energy use, and reliance solely on clean energy sources. Additionally, future iterations of the definition might delve into addressing emissions relating to embodied carbon—such as those from producing, transporting, installing, and disposing of building materials.
It is important to note that this definition does not impose regulatory standards or certification requirements; instead, it serves as a guiding framework that public and private entities can voluntarily adopt to assess a building’s operational energy emissions. Moreover, the definition does not serve as a replacement for existing green building and energy efficiency standards and certifications that have been established by public and private entities.
The DOE’s unveiling of the national definition of zero-emission buildings marks a crucial milestone in the drive towards sustainable and environmentally conscious building practices in the United States. By setting clear guidelines and targets, the DOE is paving the way for a more sustainable future in the realm of building construction and operation.
In conclusion, considering the substantial economic investment and extensive workload until 2050, it is evident that the demands of the domestic market will also be fulfilled by processors outside the USA. Why not consider processors from the Balkan region, where product quality, cutting-edge technology, and customer focus are fundamental to their operations?
Source: DOE with additional information added by GlassBalkan
