Page 9 - Designing for Zero Carbon - Case Studies of All-Electric Buildings

INTRODUCTION DESIGNING FOR ZERO CARBON
tems—that benefit will grow each year as the renewable energy power supply continues to prog- ress toward the 100% goal in 2045.
The progression over the past 40 years or so therefore has been an emphasis on energy-ef- ficient buildings moving to zero-net-energy buildings and finally to all-electric buildings. The all-electric buildings become fully zero-carbon buildings in 2045, at least in terms of energy used in operating the buildings.
The New Paradigm—All-Electric (Zero-Carbon) Buildings
Zero-carbon buildings are therefore now the goal in the campaign against climate change caused by GHG emissions initiated by the built environment. This means all-electric new building con- struction and, the more difficult task, existing building renovations and retrofits to convert these structures to all-electric building operation.
Achieving this goal requires developing a pathway for the building industry, which has started being defined by a number of actions recently taken:
• Governor Brown’s 2018 Executive Order B-55-18 to achieve carbon neutrality for Cali- fornia no later than 2045. This is in addition to SB-100, which mandates that the electri- cal grid in California be 100% renewable energy no later than 2045.
• Governor Newsom’s 2021 announcement that the California Public Utilities Commis- sion (CPUC) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) are evaluating pathways to achieve statewide carbon neutrality by 2035, ten years in advance of the 2045 target date.
• President Biden’s Infrastructure Plan of 2021, which aspires to achieve 100% carbon- pollution-free electricity nationwide by 2035 through a series of actions.1
The next two decades will therefore see a transformation of the building inventory as all-electric building design and construction becomes the norm for new and existing buildings.2
All-Electric Buildings: Old and New Issues
Energy-Efficiency and Zero-Net-Energy (ZNE)
The new generation of buildings will be electrified but still energy-efficient. The advancements in building energy efficiency over the past forty years are still beneficial in terms of operating cost, environmental impact and electric grid management. And if the renewable energy system and ZNE design features are feasible and cost-effective for a building owner, a ZNE all-electric building may be preferred. ZNE buildings have other advantages as well in terms of occupant satisfaction and productivity, daylighting, natural ventilation and other aspects of a healthy build- ing environment. When paired with battery energy storage, these ZNE all-electric buildings have enhanced capabilities for peak load shifting and resilience in case of grid interruptions.
But these all-electric zero-carbon buildings can also be energy-efficient but not quite ZNE, while also achieving the same design advantages. This will be the new paradigm for building design going forward.
1 See: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/11/08/fact-sheet- the-bipartisan-infrastructure-deal-boosts-clean-energy-jobs-strengthens-resilience-and-advanc- es-environmental-justice/
2 For a comprehensive discussion of the methodologies of this transformation, see The Building Decarbonization Practice Guide—A Zero Carbon Future for the Built Environment, The William J. Worthen Foundation (2021).
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