flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

First federal blueprint to decarbonize U.S. buildings sector released

Codes and Standards

First federal blueprint to decarbonize U.S. buildings sector released

The plan outlines pathways to reduce emissions 90% in buildings sector by 2050.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | April 8, 2024
First federal blueprint to decarbonize U.S. buildings sector released
Image: DOE

The Biden Administration recently released “Decarbonizing the U.S. Economy by 2050: A National Blueprint for the Buildings Sector,” a comprehensive plan to reduce greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions from buildings by 65% by 2035 and 90% by 2050.

The Blueprint is the first sector-wide strategy for building decarbonization developed by the federal government. It outlines ways to reduce energy in homes, schools, and workplaces.

To reach the emissions reduction targets for the buildings sector, the Blueprint sets four strategic objectives:  

• Increasing building energy efficiency
• Accelerating onsite emissions reductions
• Transforming the interactions between buildings and the electricity grid
• Minimizing the emissions from producing, transporting, installing, and disposing of building materials  

Each objective has specific performance targets and market, policy, and technology milestones to reach by 2035 and 2050. Meeting these targets will require accelerated deployment of a wide range of decarbonization and energy efficiency technologies. The Blueprint outlines coordinated federal actions that can increase the speed and scale of solutions deployments. Those actions include funding research and development to develop lower-cost technologies, expanding markets for low-carbon technologies, providing direct funding and financing, and supporting the development and implementation of emissions-reducing building codes and appliance standards.

The Department of Energy, a key player in the administration’s decarbonization drive, is focused on building innovations in three pivotal areas: building upgrades, efficient electrification, and smart controls.

Related Stories

| Apr 19, 2012

CSI webinar on energy codes and building envelopes

This seminar will review recent changes in energy codes, examples of building enclosure wall assemblies for code compliance, potential moisture management and durability challenges, and design tools to assess and minimize potential problems.

| Apr 19, 2012

Innovative plan for storm water in Philadelphia gets EPA’s OK

Philadelphia's $2 billion plan to manage its storm water with green methods including porous pavement, green roofs, and more trees, was officially approved last week by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

| Apr 19, 2012

LEED 2012 to include new credit category for transit-oriented development

The updated LEED 2012 system will introduce a new credit category, “Location and Transportation,” to encourage development oriented around public transit and more walkable communities.

| Apr 17, 2012

FMI report examines federal construction trends

Given the rapid transformations occurring in the federal construction sector, FMI examines the key forces accelerating these changes, as well as their effect on the industry.

| Apr 16, 2012

University of Michigan study seeks to create efficient building design

The result, the researchers say, could be technologies capable of cutting the carbon footprint created by the huge power demands buildings place on the nation’s electrical grid.

| Apr 13, 2012

Congress’s action doesn’t mean Pentagon can’t build LEED gold structures

Though Congress passed a defense budget preventing the Department of Defense from spending money to achieve LEED gold or platinum certification, the Pentagon may still end up constructing buildings to those standards.

| Apr 13, 2012

International Living Building Institute certifies first two Net Zero Energy buildings

A community building in Oregon and an office building in California are the first two projects to earn net-zero status under the International Living Building Institute’s Net Zero Energy Certification program.

| Apr 13, 2012

New York City’s building department investigating structural collapse that killed worker

Following a worker’s death, the collapse of a century-old, two-story warehouse under demolition as part of Columbia University’s expansion is under investigation by the city’s Building Department.

| Apr 13, 2012

Federal court reduces statute of limitations for OSHA action on record-keeping violations

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit sharply curtailed the period of time that companies can be cited for Occupational Safety and Health reporting violations, reversing the decision of an administrative panel and longstanding agency precedent.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021