flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Washington, D.C., to transition to 100% renewable energy by 2032

Codes and Standards

Washington, D.C., to transition to 100% renewable energy by 2032

Includes measures to reduce emissions from buildings and transportation.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | January 7, 2019
Aerial view of Washington, D.C.

Courtesy Pixabay

Washington, D.C.’s city council voted to transition to 100% renewable energy by 2032, one of the nation’s most ambitious green energy goals to date.

The Clean Energy D.C. Omnibus Act of 2018 also includes measures to reduce emissions from buildings and transportation. Federal buildings will have to follow the stricter energy efficiency standards that the new law will bring for all existing D.C. buildings.

All public transportation and private vehicle fleets, including ride-share programs Uber and Lyft, must be carbon free by 2045. The bill is expected to reduce the city’s greenhouse gas emissions 42% by 2032.

Previously, the district had pledged 50% renewable energy by 2032.

Related Stories

Codes and Standards | May 8, 2023

New ASHRAE standard defines ‘zero energy’ and ‘zero carbon’ buildings

ASHRAE has released a new standard that defines the terms ‘Zero Energy’ and ‘Zero Carbon’ to describe buildings.  ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 228-2023, Standard Method of Evaluating Zero Net Energy and Zero Net Carbon Building Performance, sets requirements for evaluating whether a building or group of buildings meets a definition of “zero net energy” or a definition of “zero net carbon” during operation.

Sustainability | May 1, 2023

Increased focus on sustainability is good for business and attracting employees

A recent study, 2023 State of Design & Make by software developer Autodesk, contains some interesting takeaways for the design and construction industry. Respondents to a survey of industry leaders from the architecture, engineering, construction, product design, manufacturing, and entertainment spheres strongly support the idea that improving their organization’s sustainability practices is good for business.

Office Buildings | May 1, 2023

Office building owners face potential legal liabilities when adding new workplace amenities

Many landlords in the war for tenants have turned to offering new amenities such as conference room services, fitness centers with nutritionists, and high-end food and beverage offerings. To provide new services, landlords often engage with third-party vendors, which can present thorny legal liability.

Codes and Standards | May 1, 2023

Hurricane Ian aftermath expected to prompt building code reform in Florida

Hurricane Ian struck the Southwest Florida coastline last fall with winds exceeding 150 mph, flooding cities, and devastating structures across the state. A construction risk management expert believes the projected economic damage, as high as $75 billion, will prompt the state to beef up building codes and reform land use rules. 

Codes and Standards | Apr 21, 2023

Federal court overturns first natural gas ban in the U.S.

A recent ruling by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco invalidating Berkeley, California’s ban on natural gas within new building construction puts similar measures adopted around the country in legal jeopardy.

Codes and Standards | Apr 21, 2023

Sixteen-year-old climate law not having intended impact on decarbonizing federal buildings

Sixteen years out from a 2007 law that aimed to end the use of fossil fuels in federal buildings, gas heat is still being installed within the federal sphere.

Green | Apr 21, 2023

Boston to adopt stringent climate-friendly building code

Boston will soon adopt a new stringent green state building code that aims to significantly reduce carbon emissions in new construction and major renovations.

Multifamily Housing | Apr 21, 2023

Arlington County, Va., eliminates single-family-only zoning

Arlington County, a Washington, D.C., community that took shape in the 1950s, when single-family homes were the rule in suburbia, recently became one of the first locations on the East Coast to eliminate single-family-only zoning.

Contractors | Apr 18, 2023

New York City construction fatalities, injuries rise in 2022 as activity booms

New York City’s construction fatalities rose from nine in 2021 to eleven in 2022, according to a report by the New York City Department of Buildings. Recorded injuries also rose to 554 last year after leveling off in 2020 and 2021.

Resiliency | Apr 18, 2023

AI-simulated hurricanes could aid in designing more resilient buildings

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have devised a new method of digitally simulating hurricanes in an effort to create more resilient buildings. A recent study asserts that the simulations can accurately represent the trajectory and wind speeds of a collection of actual storms. 

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category



Codes and Standards

New FEMA rules include climate change impacts

FEMA’s new rules governing rebuilding after disasters will take into account the impacts of climate change on future flood risk. For decades, the agency has followed a 100-year floodplain standard—an area that has a 1% chance of flooding in a given year.


Sustainability

Grimshaw launches free online tool to help accelerate decarbonization of buildings

Minoro, an online platform to help accelerate the decarbonization of buildings, was recently launched by architecture firm Grimshaw, in collaboration with more than 20 supporting organizations including World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), RIBA, Architecture 2030, the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) and several national Green Building Councils from across the globe.

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