flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

GSA releases updated standards to move federal buildings toward zero emissions

Government Buildings

GSA releases updated standards to move federal buildings toward zero emissions

Mandatory design and construction standards, performance criteria for 300,000 federal buildings


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | August 14, 2024
Image by rus-burkhanov from Pixabay

Image by rus-burkhanov from Pixabay

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) recently released updated building efficiency standards for federal buildings.

The mandatory design and construction standards and performance criteria apply to 300,000 federal buildings. The standards will advance building efficiency, reduce emissions, and increase resilience, according to a GSA news release.

The standards will advance the Federal Sustainability Plan to achieve net-zero emissions from all federal buildings by 2045, and promote the use of American-made, low carbon construction materials.

The P100 standards require that facilities adopt advanced energy conservation strategies and eliminate on-site fossil fuel use. The standards call for grid-interactive efficient buildings, leverage innovative technologies through GSA’s Green Proving Ground, require the use of low-embodied carbon materials, and potable water reuse.

The standards address:

• Electrification: New standards for building equipment and systems to be powered by clean energy sources.
• Embodied Carbon: Requirement to utilize low-embodied carbon materials, including salvaged, reused, regenerative, and biomimetic options. 
• Energy Efficiency: Enhanced building envelope performance to minimize energy loss and improve overall efficiency.
• Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings: New measures to support a more resilient, responsive grid.

Related Stories

Coronavirus | Jan 20, 2022

Advances and challenges in improving indoor air quality in commercial buildings

Michael Dreidger, CEO of IAQ tech startup Airsset speaks with BD+C's John Caulfield about how building owners and property managers can improve their buildings' air quality.

Giants 400 | Jan 3, 2022

2021 Government Sector Giants: Top architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. government buildings sector

Stantec, Jacobs, Turner Construction, and Hensel Phelps top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest government sector architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in the 2021 Giants 400 Report.

Cladding and Facade Systems | Oct 26, 2021

14 projects recognized by DOE for high-performance building envelope design

The inaugural class of DOE’s Better Buildings Building Envelope Campaign includes a medical office building that uses hybrid vacuum-insulated glass and a net-zero concrete-and-timber community center.

Justice Facilities | Sep 24, 2021

More than justice for all

Public safety buildings are paying greater attention to occupant well-being.

Giants 400 | Aug 30, 2021

2021 Giants 400 Report: Ranking the largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S.

The 2021 Giants 400 Report includes more than 130 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.

Resiliency | Aug 19, 2021

White paper outlines cost-effective flood protection approaches for building owners

A new white paper from Walter P Moore offers an in-depth review of the flood protection process and proven approaches.

Daylighting Designs | Jul 9, 2021

New daylighting diffusers come in three shape options

Solatube introduces its newest technology innovation to its commercial product line, the OptiView Shaping Diffusers.

Government Buildings | Jun 30, 2021

The FBI Innovation Center breaks ground in Huntsville, Ala.

HKS and Clark Construction are the design-build team for the project.

Government Buildings | Jun 30, 2021

Singapore’s new courthouse is set up for all to see

The project’s architect has released more details about its design, 18 months after it opened.

Resiliency | Jun 24, 2021

Oceanographer John Englander talks resiliency and buildings [new on HorizonTV]

New on HorizonTV, oceanographer John Englander discusses his latest book, which warns that, regardless of resilience efforts, sea levels will rise by meters in the coming decades. Adaptation, he says, is the key to future building design and construction.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category


Curtain Wall

7 steps to investigating curtain wall leaks

It is common for significant curtain wall leakage to involve multiple variables. Therefore, a comprehensive multi-faceted investigation is required to determine the origin of leakage, according to building enclosure consultants Richard Aeck and John A. Rudisill with Rimkus. 



Government Buildings

One of the country’s first all-electric fire stations will use no outside energy sources

Charlotte, N.C.’s new Fire Station #30 will be one of the country’s first all-electric fire stations, using no outside energy sources other than diesel fuel for one or two of the fire trucks. Multiple energy sources will power the station, including solar roof panels and geothermal wells. The two-story building features three truck bays, two fire poles, dispatch area, contamination room, and gear storage.

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