White House and DOE standardize definition for zero emissions building

The White House and the U.S. Department of Energy have announced the release of phase one of a National Definition for a Zero Emissions Building for the private sector. The months follows months of stakeholder input and expertise to establish a universal definition of a net zero building.

The definition will serve as a guide for state and local governments and companies setting energy and carbon reduction targets to achieve global climate goals. The guide will focus on three main areas of the definition: the determination that a building is highly energy efficient, that the building is fully electrified, and that the building uses only clearly defined clean energy sources.

“We applaud the exceptional efforts of that White House and the Department of Energy in conducting outreach to all stakeholders as they worked to develop this definition,” says Vicki Worden, president and CEO of the Green Building Initiative. “As a national certification system, we are pleased to be able to incorporate the National Definition for a Zero Emissions Building into GBI’s Green Globes Journey to Net Zero Carbon Certification. GBI believes that by amplifying this definition, we will support the private sector’s goals together with the goals of the federal government’s leased portfolio to collectively transform and significantly reduce the build environment’s carbon footprint.”

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For nearly two years, the Green Building Initiative (GBI), an international nonprofit organization, has worked with subject matter experts, state and local governments, and large corporate portfolios to develop and deliver the Green Globes Journey to Net Zero program (JNZ). GBI identified a market need for an assessment program that helps building owners track their progress towards net zero energy and carbon and seek customized guidance for improvement.

These programs leverage rigorous carbon accounting principles to identify site EUI and carbon dioxide equivalent percent reductions against a baseline. Green Globes Journey to Net Zero encourages all building owners, whether just getting started or having made significant progress, to evaluate and report on their journey, with an ultimate goal of guiding projects to a fully certified net zero energy and net zero carbon building or portfolio.

As an organization committed to collaboration and transparency, GBI conducted two public input periods prior to beginning the JNZ pilot program. The JNZ pilot program consisted of nearly 100MM square feet of commercial and multifamily residential real estate, representing several asset classes among most climate zones. GBI is opening a third public input period later this year.

GBI’s Green Globes Journey to Net Zero program provides third-party assessment, identification and recognition of compliance with state and local requirements and data from the 170 buildings in its net zero pilot program to support the development of state and local net zero policies and incentives.

In response to the announcement, Karen Harbert, president and CEO of the American Gas Association (AGA), called for a fuel-neutral approach to reduce total emissions, saying the DOE’s definition rules out the use of natural gas with carbon capture and other low- or zero-carbon fuels, including renewable natural gas, hydrogen and other biofuels.

“Natural gas utilities have a proven track record of reducing GHG emissions. AGA and its members are committed to reducing GHG emissions through smart innovation, new and modernized infrastructure and advanced technologies that maintain reliable, resilient and cost-effective energy choices,” Harbert says. “DOE’s definition of a zero-emissions building puts the federal government’s thumb on the scale by mandating electrification which will ultimately limit options for zero-emissions buildings making it more challenging to attain ambitious emissions goals.”

*This article was updated June 11 to add comments from the American Gas Association.