Climate Action Day 24 – Reduce the Climate Footprint of the Building Around You

Travel and Work

The Frog will explore The Climate Action Handbook: A Visual Guide to 100 Climate Solutions by Heidi Roop in the first 100 days of 2024

Let’s do the numbers of the climate impact of buildings:

• 39% of total global energy-related emissions come from buildings
• 11% of the 39% comes from building construction
• 28% of the 39% comes from building operation
• 29% of all US emissions come from building (when you include energy generation)
• 61% of all electricity used to power buildings came from fossil fuels

For over 200 years, we have built buildings in the US according to the design practices and understanding of energy efficiency of the time. If they are in use today, they require energy for operation. For a given building, how efficient it is depends on when it was built or if forward-looking owners have retrofitted it with energy saving technologies. It is only recently that we have been deliberately designing and building buildings that meet standards of energy efficiency and emissions reductions, i.e. the LEED rating system.

In addition to better design of greener buildings, technology and new materials are increasingly being used or in development that are more sustainable with a lower climate impact. Seen in new construction and retrofits, the energy efficiency of buildings can be optimized with simple-to-implement solutions through the installation of high efficiency electrical components and “smart” thermostats, and retrofits for more insulation and the use of light control films for windows.

Some more forward-looking cities are adopting construction policies to make buildings more climate friendly. Heidi discusses New York City which will work to phase out fossil fuel combustion in new construction and has a requirement that commercial and residential buildings be all electric by 2027. The US Government is taking a leading role in technology development through a variety of programs including the Green Proving Ground where new energy efficient technologies are deployed and evaluated in Federal buildings.

It is also increasingly important to retrofit buildings to be more resilient in the face of a changing climate, which is intensifying and prolonging weather related events that can damage and destroy infrastructure. This may include changing the climate control systems and insulation to deal with wider temperature swings to major renovations that account for the increased likelihood of frequent flooding with higher water levels.

For your workplace, advocating for improved electrical components and controls, and lighting, insulation, and window films to increase energy efficiency should be well received as it is usually a good investment for any business. The next step for you as an advocate is to help the company evaluate the built environment for potential risks resulting from climate change.

As for your own home, we will be exploring some actions to take in later posts. A good place to start may be with your utility: for instance, Xcel Energy in MN offers a Home Energy Audit, described as “the quickest, simplest way to assess your home’s energy efficiency and set you on the path to lower energy bills and a more comfortable, more efficient home”. As always, decisive action starts first with awareness and education.

Next Up: Climate Action in 2024 – Day 25: Go Green and Cool With Rooftops

Howard Creel

#rescuethatfrog
Email: rescuethatfrog@gmail.com