Going green with building certifications like LEED, WELL, and Energy Star can be a significant step towards reaching net zero carbon emission goals, but ESD, now Stantec Energy Engineer Matthew Zweibruck says don’t stop there. (Learn more about the FacilitiesNet summit.)
In a recent article for Commercial Property Executive magazine, ESD Practice Leader for Commissioning and Energy+Eco Saagar Patel encourages building owners, operators, and developers to act now to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
Patel’s article, “Despite Lack of Consensus, CRE Is Decarbonizing,” says by some measures, the building industry accounts for almost 40 percent of global energy-related carbon emissions. He says while there are numerous technical solutions available, there remain significant barriers that make investing and financing these efforts difficult.
Until these can be resolved, Patel is calling on building industry professionals to drive change in the interim by taking meaningful action to create net zero plans. These steps include:
- Tackling energy reduction (i.e., operational carbon) first, before investing in offsets
- Addressing embodied carbon when constructing new real estate
- Reviewing opportunities to electrify (i.e., decarbonize) equipment when performing end-of-life system replacements
- Capitalizing on existing local utility incentives and federal tax programs to help fund initiatives
For these net zero efforts to be successful says building owners, operators, and occupants must work together to meet these challenges while the engineering design and construction industries continue to push for a greener future.
Saagar Patel currently serves on the Illinois Energy Code Advisory Council as well as the Building Decarbonization Working Group for the City of Chicago, demonstrating his commitment to ESD’s mission to improve society through the built environment.
Contact ESD’s experts for more information on how ESD can help with building automation, energy efficiency, and other carbon reduction planning.
