The City of Denver has released a plan to decarbonize existing homes and buildings within the city limits and beyond to Denver County.
The heart of the plan is to replace traditional gas space and water heating appliances with electric heat pumps that are powered by renewable energy. The city moved ahead with the initiative buoyed by a commitment made by Xcel Energy, Denver’s utility, to generate 80% of Denver’s electricity by renewables by 2030.
Today, 97% of natural gas consumed in buildings and homes is used for space and water heat, the city says. Emissions from these uses account for 24% of Denver’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
The city says that under the plan, 66% of homes, 69% of multifamily units, and 49% of commercial buildings can be fully electrified when existing systems reach their end of life. This would keep total capital and operating costs within 10% of baseline costs under existing electricity and gas rates.
The plan strives for racial and economic equity in achieving these goals in a “managed transition” to electrification.
Related Stories
| May 17, 2012
New Zealand stadium roof collapse blamed on snow, construction defects
Heavy snowfall, construction defects, and design problems contributed to the collapse of the Stadium Southland roof in New Zealand in September 2010, a report has found.
| May 17, 2012
OSHA launches fall prevention campaign
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently launched an educational campaign to prevent deadly falls in the construction industry.
| May 15, 2012
Suffolk selected for Rosenwald Elementary modernization project
The 314-student station elementary school will undergo extensive modernization.
| May 10, 2012
Chapter 6 Energy Codes + Reconstructed Buildings: 2012 and Beyond
Our experts analyze the next generation of energy and green building codes and how they impact reconstruction.
| May 10, 2012
Resilience should be considered a sustainability factor
Since a sustainable building is one you don't have to rebuild, some building sustainability experts believe adding points for "resilience" to storms and earthquakes to the LEED sustainability rating tool makes sense.
| May 10, 2012
University of Michigan research project pushes envelope on green design
A research project underway at the University of Michigan will test the potential of intelligent building envelopes that are capable of monitoring weather, daylight, and occupant use to manage heating, cooling, and lighting.
| May 10, 2012
Fire suppression agents go greener
Environmental sensitivity is helping to drive adoption of new fire suppression agents.
| May 10, 2012
Industry groups urge Congress to leave contracting decisions to agencies
An organization of several industry groups urged Congress to leave many contracting decisions to the discretion of individual agencies by avoiding blanket mandates.
| May 10, 2012
OSHA proposes new rule to have employers find and fix hazards
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has proposed a new regulation, Injury and Illness Prevention Program, or I2P2, which would compel employers to find and fix safety hazards.