More Buildings Reaching Carbon Reduction Targets

There has been a 200 percent increase over 2012 in the number of building design projects that meet the American Institute of Architects’ 60 percent carbon reduction target, according to a report released by AIA earlier this month.

The AIA’s 2030 Commitment Program, introduced in 2009, is a voluntary initiative for architecture firms and others in the building industry to commit to the AIA’s goal of carbon neutral buildings by 2030.

According to Robert Ivy of the AIA, one of the major findings from the research is that to maximize the energy efficiency of buildings and to realize the AIA’s goal of carbon neutral buildings, energy modeling must become a standard part of the design practice.

Additional highlights from the report include the following:

• 401 design projects are meeting the 60 percent carbon reduction target, a 200 percent increase from 2012.
• 2,464 projects have been accounted for in the report, a 150 percent increase from 2012.
• 1.6 billion gross square feet are represented in the data, a 9 percent increase from 2012.
• 66 percent of total GSF are using energy modeling to predict operational energy consumption, a 14 percent increase from 2012.
• A 19 percent average firm reduction in lighting power density for interior projects was reported, an increase of 2 percent from 2012.
• A 34 percent average predicted energy use intensity reduction was reported by firms, a decrease of 3 percent from 2012.

At Greenbuild last week, AIA, together with McGraw Hill, CBRE, the US Green Building Council and a number of other partners, presented a report indicating that about 47 percent of building owners cut their healthcare costs for employees in facilities with green building features.

In August, the AIA was one of a number of organizations to sign a memorandum to collaborate on the development of Standard 189.1, the International Green Construction Code and the LEED green building program.