SOLUTIONS Buildings

The Northeast can improve both the strength and enforcement of building energy codes and adopt additional policies that promote even more energy and resource efficient redevelopment, design and construction practices. Choices regarding building location, materials, energy supply, air handling, water, lighting systems, furnishings, and control systems can deliver tremendous operating and maintenance cost savings and emissions reductions as well as valuable human health and performance benefits.

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Energy Star Buildings, a program run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, offers a benchmarking tool for comparing the energy efficiency of buildings of similar types. Energy Star labels are awarded to buildings that rate in the top quartile. The program also offers tools for commercial real estate managers, design criteria for new buildings, and guidelines for upgrades to maximize efficiency.

Green Building (LEED) certification takes a broad look at a building's total environmental impact—from location to building materials to energy use—and thus can be a powerful tool in efforts to reduce carbon emissions. The U.S. Green Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification can help define benchmarks for green buildings.

Tax incentives encourage energy and carbon efficiency in the design of new buildings and the renovation of existing ones, as well as in the equipping and furnishing of those buildings with discrete material and equipment choices.

Building codes and Zoning Ordinances are straightforward standards that send important signals about the importance of energy efficiency and the "carbon footprint" of new buildings and redevelopments in the community.

State & Municipal Government leadership on Energy Star and LEED Buildings can go a long way toward advancing public awareness and acceptance of the approach and various strategies and technologies involved, as well as the key aspect of the local architecture and engineering professions and trades having experience and viewing the practices as worthy of their investment in new training.

Renewable Energy can be integrated into the design of buildings to help them provide a lower-cost, more energy-secure environment for their occupants. From passive solar techniques to solar thermal roofing and geothermal heat pumps, individual and innovative combinations of technologies are rapidly advancing in performance, cost, and reliability and rapidly driving the industry toward a long-envisioned goal of zero-energy buildings.