Commercial property owners should commit to greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction—a strategy that reaps financial benefits and prevents buildings from becoming stranded assets, according to an energy efficiency consultant writing in GlobeSt.
A systematic drive to reduce emissions across the portfolio will garner savings on energy and water, as well as on levies for exceeding carbon emissions standards enacted by local governments. Decarbonization can avoid “stranded assets … properties that will be exposed to the risk of early economic obsolescence due to climate change because they will not meet future regulatory efficiency standards or market expectations.”
The first step is to set minimum standards for the entire portfolio and efficiency goals for individual properties. Portfolio standards could be performance based (e.g., 10% reduction of all assets by 2030), or prescriptive based (e.g., 100% LED lighting at all assets by 2025).
An energy and water audit, a comprehensive analysis of the property’s energy and water consumption using the ASHRAE Energy Audit Standards, should be conducted at each site. The audit measures energy and water usage, identifies property conditions that may cause excessive use, and provides efficiency measures to improve energy and water efficiency.
Other GHG reduction measures include building automation and controls, retro-commissioning, sourcing green energy from utilities, fully electrifying buildings, and integrating renewable energy systems into the property.
Related Stories
| May 9, 2013
SMACNA’s new HVAC sound and vibration guide open for public review
Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association’s (SMACNA’s) new “HVAC Systems Sound and Vibration Guide” is available for a 45-day public review.
| May 9, 2013
NSF Sustainability launches VOC emissions testing, certification for commercial furniture industry
New program offers sustainable certification and indoor air quality testing for commercial furniture makers.
| May 1, 2013
House bill would give OSHA more authority over state workplace-safety plans
A recently introduced U.S. House of Representatives bill would give the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) more authority over state workplace-safety plans and toughen penalties for companies that knowingly violate OSHA regulations.
| May 1, 2013
New commercial landlord disclosures go into effect in California in July
Two new landlord disclosure requirements become effective in California on July 1, 2013.
| May 1, 2013
New ASHRAE residential indoor air quality standard adds carbon monoxide alarm requirement
The new 2013 version of ASHRAE’s residential indoor air quality standard adds a requirement for carbon monoxide alarms.
| May 1, 2013
AAMA publishes standard for multipoint locking hardware for side-hinged doors
The American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) recently published the first North America standard for multipoint locking hardware for side-hinged door systems.
| Apr 24, 2013
‘W visa’ program could hamper construction industry's growth
The Senate’s bipartisan immigration reform proposal will provide interim legal status to some 11 million undocumented people.
| Apr 24, 2013
North Carolina bill would ban green rating systems that put state lumber industry at disadvantage
North Carolina lawmakers have introduced state legislation that would restrict the use of national green building rating programs, including LEED, on public projects.
| Apr 24, 2013
BOMA’s 360 Performance Program approaches 600 building designees
The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International conferred the BOMA 360 Performance Program® designation upon 44 properties in major commercial real estate markets across the U.S. in the first quarter of 2013.
| Apr 24, 2013
New Mexico court strikes down move to repeal energy codes
The New Mexico State Court of Appeals struck down an attempt to repeal energy-efficient building codes.