CARBON, RESILIENCE, & EQUITY RESOURCES

WHAT IS ZERO CARBON? WHY DECARBONIZE BUILDINGS?

A major shift is underway in the building industry as building performance goals change from a focus on energy efficiency to a focus on decarbonization. “To decarbonize a building is to remove greenhouse gas emissions from the building’s energy use”, generally achieved through improved efficiency and ensuring appliances and building systems are powered by clean energy sources.[1] Residential and commercial buildings are currently responsible for about 25% of California’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.[2]

Los Angeles, CA / Photo by David Vives on Unsplash

In the state of California, proponents of building decarbonization are generally focusing on electrifying buildings and incorporating renewable electricity production where possible.

A Zero Net Carbon Building (ZNC) is “a highly energy efficient building that produces on-site, or procures, enough carbon-free renewable energy to meet building operations energy consumption annually”.[3]

The New Buildings Institute identifies five foundations of zero carbon building policies:

  1. Energy efficiency

  2. Renewable energy

  3. Building-grid integration

  4. Building electrification

  5. Embodied carbon                                       

A zero net energy (ZNE) building project produces at least as much energy from renewable sources as it uses over the course of a year. At its most fundamental level, designing a ZNE building is a balancing act between energy consumption and production.

Good ZNE designs address the first two foundations, energy efficiency and renewable energy, and are grid-connected. Fundamentally, designers start by reducing building loads as much as possible to reduce the amount on-site renewable energy required to completely offset the remaining projected energy use. More recently, ZNE buildings are also called zero energy buildings (ZEBs).

Zero carbon buildings push these strategies further. Building on the foundations of energy efficiency and renewable energy, designers should consider the impact of their fuel choice. One of the primary strategies for achieving zero carbon buildings is electrification of the building’s end-uses. Designers should also consider the buildings’ grid impact, with a focus on reducing emissions by optimizing load shapes. The specific time that energy is used during the day or year (the “load shape”) can have a substantial impact on the overall carbon emissions.

The operational carbon emissions of buildings are generally determined by multiplying the energy use by an emissions factor. The emissions factor varies by fuel, time of year, and time of day. The embodied carbon is the emissions connected to the equipment, materials, and construction practices.

All buildings designed as part of the competition must be grid-tied. “Grid-tied” buildings maintain a connection to the electrical grid. For buildings without energy storage, when insufficient energy is generated by on-site renewables to meet the demand from building loads, electricity is drawn from the grid; when on-site renewables generate a surplus of electricity, the surplus electricity is exported to the grid. For buildings with energy storage, the excess may be stored, and the storage energy can be used when needed to meet loads or shift the load shape.

Read

“Zero Net Carbon (ZNC) Building” – definition whitepaper from Architecture 2030, New Buildings Institute, and Rocky Mountain Institute (2018). https://architecture2030.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/ZNC_Building_Definition.pdf

“Decarbonizing Buildings: A Changing Lexicon” – New Buildings Institute (June 12, 2019). https://newbuildings.org/decarbonizing-buildings-a-changing-lexicon/

“From kilowatts to carbon, the language we use matters. Building sector policies and programs across the nation are in the midst of a critical shift from delivering energy efficiency in terms of kWh, to policies and programs that seek carbon emissions reductions and even carbon neutrality.”

“So, What Exactly Is Building Electrification?” – GreentechMedia (June 5, 2020). https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/so-what-exactly-is-building-electrification

“The terms ‘building electrification’, ‘beneficial electrification’ and ‘building decarbonization’ all describe shifting to use electricity rather than fossil fuels for heating and cooking. The goal of such a transition: all-electric buildings powered by solar, wind and other sources of zero-carbon electricity.”

“Making the Transition from Zero Energy to Zero Carbon Building Policies” – New Buildings Institute (2019). https://newbuildings.org/making-the-transition-from-zero-energy-to-zero-carbon-building-policies/

“Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Goals Converge at the Built Environment” – New

Buildings Institute (April 17, 2019). https://newbuildings.org/efficiency-and-carbon-reduction-goals-converge-at-the-built-environment/

“With buildings accounting for up to 75% of carbon emissions in U.S. cities, it’s clear that addressing carbon emissions directly in the built environment is essential to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. Every decision – from the materials used to construct buildings to the type of energy used to power them – impacts the building’s magnitude of contribution to the climate crisis.”

Watch

“Zero Net Carbon Buildings” – City of San Jose (2019). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rnwslzBWj4&t=58s

“What is a Zero Energy Building?” – U.S. Department of Energy (2017). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FysJKq5yCfg

“Design Professional’s Guide to Zero Net Energy Buildings” – free and on-demand, Pacific Gas and Electric Company Training Centers. (Access is granted through registering for an account with PG&E) https://pge.docebosaas.com/learn/course/external/view/elearning/334/design-professionals-guide-to-zero-net-energy-buildings-previously-recorded

Explore

Getting to Zero Resource Hub – New Buildings Institute. https://gettingtozeroforum.org/resource-hub/

Team Zero.
https://teamzero.org

Interactive Online Class: “Zero Net Energy Introduction” – free and on-demand, Pacific Gas and Electric Company Training Centers. (Access is granted through registering for an account with PG&E) https://pge.docebosaas.com/learn/course/external/view/elearning/118/zero-net-energy-introduction-project-showcase

EMBODIED CARBON

Buildings contribute around 40% of GHG emissions worldwide. Building designers have focused on the operational energy and associated emissions, making systems and equipment more efficient over time.

The embodied carbon “consists of all of the GHG emissions associated with building construction, including those that arise from extracting, transporting, manufacturing, and installing building materials on site, as well as the operational and end-of-life emissions associated with those materials”.[4]

WHERE TO START?

●     Get educated about embodied carbon. Learn more about new tools.
●     Consider the time value and impact of different ways to achieve carbon reductions.
●     Set goals for reducing embodied carbon on each project.
●     Focus on high volume materials: between 50% and 75% of embodied emissions typically come from the concrete steel in the foundation and structure.
●     Focus on high emission materials: for example, small amounts of aluminum and certain kinds of foam insulation can have very large emission footprints.

Excerpt from Embodied Carbon: What You Can Do Right Now, AIA. https://arccadigest.org/embodied-carbon-what-you-can-do-right-now/#:~:text=1.,carbon%20emissions%20than%20new%20construction.

Read

“Actions for Zero Carbon Buildings: Embodied Carbon” – Architecture 2030. https://architecture2030.org/new-buildings-embodied/

“Embodied Carbon: What You Can Do Right Now” – Henry Siegel FAIA, American Institute of Architects California (2020). https://arccadigest.org/embodied-carbon-what-you-can-do-right-now/#:~:text=1.,carbon%20emissions%20than%20new%20construction.  

“Embodied carbon is the sum of all the greenhouse gas emissions (mostly carbon dioxide) resulting from the mining, harvesting, processing, manufacturing, transportation and installation of building materials. The global warming emissions associated with these materials, along with emissions associated with construction itself, are the ‘embodied carbon footprint’ of design and construction.”

“An Immediately Applicable, High-impact Pathway to Embodied Carbon Reductions in the Built Environment” – Carbon Smart Materials Palette. https://materialspalette.org

“Embodied Carbon Resources” – Getting to Zero, New Buildings Institute. https://gettingtozeroforum.org/embodied-carbon/

“Design Tools to Help Stop Climate Change” – American Institute of Architects: Blueprint for Better. https://blueprintforbetter.org/articles/design-resources-to-help-stop-climate-change/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA1ZGcBhCoARIsAGQ0kkqjvjv8IuOKBpQtUX7QPnKxAknAANwR8pXCSphcMwC4Oisir820z_saAl_GEALw_wcB

WHAT’S NEXT?

As the focus of the building design community continues to shift from zero net energy goals, to zero carbon goals, and to addressing long term impacts due to climate change, increasing focus is being placed on resiliency, passive survivability, and equity.

STEPS TO RESILIENCE

Fundamentally, buildings are designed to keep people safe from the elements and to enable them to comfortably live their lives. In terms of resilience, this goes beyond designing for typical or current climates and incorporates “the ability to prepare and plan for, absorb, recover from, and more successfully adapt to adverse events” (USGBC)[5]. Many different topics, including social, environmental, economic, climate, and architectural, fall within the larger scope of resiliency, each with their own nuances. All of these are important factors to consider when developing a robust and sustainable design. That being said, while not discouraging the inclusion of other types of resiliency, the scope of this competition focuses on incorporating resilient building strategies and electrical systems that allow the design to mitigate and adapt to a changing climate.

Adverse, intense events related to climate change are already occurring in California. In the last year, California experienced record-setting wildfires[6], weeks of wildfire smoke[7], critical heat events[8], and public safety power shutoffs[9] to prevent further wildfires. Over the past decade, California has experienced long periods of drought, with the longest duration lasting from 2011 to 2019. For a week in 2014, 58% of California experienced exceptional levels of drought.[10] While California is a leader in climate change mitigation, there is still a sense of urgency in adapting and preparing the built environment for climate hazards as they continue to increase in frequency and intensity.

When developing a resilient design, a crucial first step is recognizing and understanding the potential natural and climatic hazards that could affect the location of the project. Identify and implement various mitigation strategies that would protect the building and its occupants from these potential hazards. It is also important to consider how the building would continue to function in the case of extended periods without power through strategies that would enable passive survivability.[11] As building vulnerability will continue to increase due to climate change, it is important to ensure that critical functions and safe thermal conditions are maintained during extreme events. Consider ways to provide the building and occupants with back-up power or incorporate passive design strategies.

The USGBC LEED rating system offers credits that provide a framework for how to approach resilient design, which can act as a guide for designers. These credits[12] along with other resources from LEED[13] and RELi[14] can be used as references while considering resiliency and passive survivability within your project.

Read:

HUD Community Resilience Toolkit https://files.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/HUD-Community-Resilient-Toolkit.pdf

Climate Resilience Strategies for Buildings in New York State https://archplan.buffalo.edu/content/dam/ap/PDFs/NYSERDA/Climate-Resilience-Strategies-for-Buildings.pdf

This report revolves around climate hazards in New York, the strategies in the report focuses on architectural elements and what can be done to adapt buildings to different climate hazards.

Explore:

2018 Indicators of Climate Change in California https://oehha.ca.gov/climate-change/2018-indicators-climate-change-california

Climate change poses an immediate and growing threat to California’s environment, public health, and economic vitality. Monitoring and research efforts across the state generate observational data that describe changes that are already underway.  

California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment
https://climateassessment.ca.gov/

5 Way to Make Buildings Climate Change Resilient https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/5-ways-make-buildings-climate-change-resilient

FEMA Building Science Resource Library https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/risk-management/building-science/publications

This web page contains all of FEMA’s hazard-specific guidance that focuses on creating hazard-resistant communities.

Tools:

U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit
https://toolkit.climate.gov/ 

STEPS TO EQUITY

Equitable design takes into account social vulnerabilities, acknowledges experiences, opportunities, and barriers among different groups of people, and helps strengthen communities by engaging local social and cultural contexts. Designing for equity means maximizing positive impacts across multiple scales by creating productive spaces and systems for the individual, the community, the environment, and global sustainability. Marginalized groups often face higher risks of climate vulnerability as well. Access to resilient spaces and resources is essential to mitigate those risks. By dismantling barriers to elevate individuals to an even playing field, equitable design can create inclusive and empowering environments.

Equitable design should consider how the project contributes to the health and happiness of the occupants, what impacts the choice of energy source could impose, and how including access to various resources could benefit the community. Consider the lifespan of the building and the longer term impacts of design choices on the residents, such as system durability and maintainability. Designs should attempt to capture and engage the local culture and specific communities that they serve.

Equitable design considerations elevate the levels of equity and inclusion, and there are different degrees to which these aspects can be incorporated. For example, in the context of neighborhood and access, a more equitable design approach would create human-scaled spaces, promote community interaction, and acknowledge the cultural, social, and physical context of the neighborhood. Design can also respond to public need and accessibility, and create communal spaces that support the local functional needs and interests of the immediate community. Equity can be integrated into other aspects of the design as well, such as access to green space, resilience strategies, energy, and community services.

Read

Making Equity Real in Climate Adaptation and Community Resilience Policies and Programs: A Guidebook - The Greenlining Institute

https://greenlining.org/publications/2019/making-equity-real-in-climate-adaption-and-community-resilience-policies-and-programs-a-guidebook/

Explore

Racial Equity Resource Hub, Strategic Growth Council https://sgc.ca.gov/programs/racial-equity/

Twenty First Century Development Matrix https://www.21stcenturydevelopment.org/development-matrix/ 

A detailed framework to gauge how influential and in depth design interventions are in terms of equitable benefits to the community. This framework is based on guidelines and principles developed by The Living Building Challenge.2 These resources can be used as references to understand the role that equity can play in architectural design.

Tools

CalEnviroScreen 3.0  https://oehha.ca.gov/calenviroscreen/report/calenviroscreen-30
CalEnviroScreen 3.0 provides identification of disadvantages through pollution burden and population characteristics.

Healthy Places Index
https://www.healthyplacesindex.org/

The California Healthy Places Index (HPI) is an interactive online data and GIS mapping tool that allows users to easily visualize the social and economic conditions that shape health in each neighborhood in California. HPI is validated with life expectancy and provides census tract rankings across the state. As of 2017, the Healthy Places Index platform also includes climate change indicators. This tool provides graphic overlays of climate risks, vulnerabilities and indicators of adaptive capacity, along with the healthy places index score, and other key decision support layers. HPI moves data into action by providing policy briefs outlining best practices to address risks associated with climate indicators.

Regional Opportunity Index, UC Davis https://interact.regionalchange.ucdavis.edu/roi/data.html

Another mapping tool to identify census tracts lacking in opportunities and needing investment is the Regional Opportunity Index (ROI) from the UC Davis Center for Regional Change. The goal of the ROI is to help target resources and policies toward people and places with the greatest need. The tool incorporates both a “people” component and a “place” component, integrating economic, infrastructure, environmental, and social indicators into a comprehensive assessment of the factors driving opportunity.