The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) recently unveiled an updated version of its Zero Carbon Building Standard.
Version 2 incorporates lesson from over 20 zero carbon projects that represent a wide spectrum of building types including schools, offices, commercial offices, and industrial buildings. “These projects demonstrate that the industry is ready to raise the bar on expanded requirements for embodied carbon and energy efficiency,” according to a CaGBC news release.
The updated standard aims to get more buildings to zero, faster, by providing more options for different design strategies, by recognizing high-quality carbon offsets when necessary and providing new tools to help design zero carbon buildings and measure results, the release says. The standard provides two pathways for any type of building project—new construction or retrofit— to get to zero carbon. The standard provides a framework for verifying that buildings have achieved zero carbon, and it must be revisited annually.
Among the new requirements:
· Projects must now reduce and offset carbon emissions for the building’s life-cycle including the manufacture and use of construction materials.
· Best practices must be followed to minimize potential leaks of refrigerants.
· More stringent energy efficiency and air-tightness requirements were added.
· Projects must demonstrate two innovative strategies to reduce carbon emissions.
Related Stories
| Feb 17, 2012
Comment period opens March 1 for LEED 2012 update
USGBC says that LEED's strength comes from its continuous evolution.
| Feb 17, 2012
OSHA training videos on proper respirator use available online
17 short videos to help workers learn about the proper use of respirators on the job.
| Feb 17, 2012
Union/employer collaboration on the rise aimed at exceeding OSHA safety standards
Unions have learned to help employers win contracts with bids made competitive through good safety practices.
| Feb 16, 2012
Gain greater agility and profitability with ArchiCAD BIM software
White paper was written with the sole purpose of providing accurate, reliable information about critical issues related to BIM and what ArchiCAD with advanced technology such as the GRAPHISOFT BIM Server provide as an answer to address these issues.
| Feb 9, 2012
Initiative to sell off under-used federal property gaining momentum
The bill is similar to a White House planto cut $8 billion worth of building costs by the end of the 2012 fiscal year, and to establish a panel to identify other sites worth selling or donating to nonprofits or state and local governments.
| Feb 9, 2012
Computer tool helps engineers design roof cladding using Canada's building code
Easier to design roof cladding that can withstand winds in a given area.
| Feb 9, 2012
Webinar focuses on lessons learned from LEED-certified industrial project
This case study will focus on strategies used to save the client money, achieve certification, and effectively market success once the project was complete.
| Feb 9, 2012
Rapid growth of zero energy buildings expected
Much of that growth will be in the European Union, where near-zero energy buildings are mandated by 2019 for public buildings, and by 2021 for all construction.
| Feb 9, 2012
Stiffer OSHA fines put strain on Kansas contractors
A fine for a violation that once cost between $750 and $1,200 now runs $7,000 or more per incident, according to a state industry association official.
