DOE releases RFI on developing national definition for a Zero Emissions Building

The Department of Energy released a Request for Information (RFI) for feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on a draft national definition for a Zero Emissions Building.

Responses will help serve as a clear market signal and consistent target, backed by measurable data, that is intended to help move the building sector to zero emissions, according to a statement from DOE. Developing a broadly accepted common definition of a zero emissions building, as well as a pathway for verification, is foundational to transition the building sector to zero emissions, the statement says.

The definition will act as a framework, offering designers and builders multiple pathways to influence the design and operation of buildings to reduce building sector emissions. Almost 30% of U.S. GHG emissions are from operating buildings, with 13% of U.S. GHG emissions from direct burning of fossil fuels within buildings.

Buildings contribute an even higher percentage of U.S. GHG emissions when factoring in emissions from construction materials and refrigerants. Part 1 of the definition will focus on zero operating emissions. Future parts of this definition will likely include embodied carbon, refrigerants, and other key elements.

As is proposed currently, the definition of a zero operating emissions building is one that is:

Highly energy efficient
Free of on-site emissions from energy use
Powered solely from clean energy

Part 1 of the draft definition in full, which includes details on the criteria above, is available at: https://www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/national-definition-zero-emissions-building.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to https://forms.office.com/g/Y0Ss3UFdL3, no later than 5:00 pm (ET) on Feb. 5, 2024.

Allan Bilka, RA, is a Senior Staff Architect and Secretariat to the International Green Construction Code (IgCC) with the International Code Council, based in the ICC’s Chicago district office. He also serves as staff liaison to the ICC-700 National Green Building Standard. He has written several ICC white papers on green building and numerous green-related articles for the ICC. A registered architect, Bilka has over 30 years of combined residential design/build and commercial consulting engineering experience.

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