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U.S. Energy Department Issues Definition of a Zero Emissions Building
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on Thursday announced a National Definition of a Zero Emissions Building to advance public and private sector efforts to decarbonize the buildings sector, which is responsible for more than one-third of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. DOE said the definition is intended to provide industry guidance to support new and existing commercial and residential buildings to move towards zero emissions across the entire sector.
“The National Definition of a Zero Emissions Building will support the sector as it advances innovative solutions essential to creating resilient communities and high-quality jobs,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. She added that through the announcement, “DOE is helping bring clarity to our public and private sector partners to support decarbonization efforts and drive investment.”
In making the announcement, DOE unveiled Part 1 of what appears to be a multi-faceted definition, covering operational emissions from energy use. At a minimum, DOE said, “a zero emissions building must be energy efficient, free of onsite emissions from energy use, and powered solely from clean energy. Future parts of this definition may address emissions from embodied carbon (producing, transporting, installing, and disposing of building materials) and additional considerations.”
The full National Definition of a Zero Emissions Building Part 1 is available at National Definition of a Zero Emissions Building Part 1: Operational Emissions from Energy Use (Version 1).
DOE noted that the Definition is not a regulatory standard. Instead, it’s intended as guidance that public and private entities may adopt to determine whether a building has zero emissions from operational energy use, including emissions from tenants.
Future parts of this Definition may address emissions from producing, transporting, installing and disposing of building materials; minimizing the impacts of refrigerants; and additional considerations.
