Low- and no-cost measures can significantly reduce embodied carbon in mid-rise commercial office, multifamily, and tilt-up-style buildings, according to Rocky Mountain Institute.
Whole-building design, material substitution, and specification strategies can chop embodied carbon by 24% to 46% in those building types at cost premiums of less than 1%, the Institute says. A recent report by the Institute focused on carbon embodied in structural elements, which accounts for about 80% of a structure’s embodied carbon.
Whole-building design can have the biggest impact on embodied carbon, the report says. Material substitution and specification can also result in substantial embodied carbon savings, especially when targeting carbon-intensive materials such as concrete and steel.
A building’s structure and substructure typically make up the largest sources of up-front embodied carbon—as much as 80%. But the relatively rapid renovation cycle of building interiors associated with tenancy and turnover can account for a similar percentage of emissions over the lifetime of a building.
Related Stories
| Feb 6, 2013
Green-roofing bills approved by New Jersey's state Assembly
Two bills that would require installation of green and blue roofs on new government buildings received overwhelming approval from the state Assembly in New Jersey.
| Feb 6, 2013
BOMA favors voluntary energy benchmarking and disclosure, opposes mandates
The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International announced support for voluntary energy benchmarking, but said it opposes mandates for benchmarking, disclosure, and labeling that many states and municipalities are implementing.
| Feb 6, 2013
Lumber Standard Committee approves new Southern Pine design value changes
The American Lumber Standard Committee Board of Review has approved the Southern Pine Inspection Bureau’s design value changes for all sizes and grades of visually graded Southern Pine dimension lumber.
| Feb 6, 2013
CEIR seeks public input on draft of PV racking and attachment document
The Center for Environmental Innovation in Roofing (CEIR) has released the first public draft of PV Racking and Attachment Criteria for Effective Low Slope Metal Panel Roof System Integrationfor an initial round of public comment.
| Feb 6, 2013
Insurance Institute demonstration shows advantages of following wind resistance standards
A demonstration by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety shows how powerful winds affect concrete-and-steel buildings built with different techniques.
| Jan 31, 2013
Proposed ASHRAE legionellosis prevention standard open for third public comment
Changes to a proposed ASHRAE legionellosis prevention standard associated with building water systems are open for public comment.
| Jan 31, 2013
More severe wind storms should prompt nationwide reexamination of building codes, says insurance expert
The increased number and severity of storms with high winds nationally should prompt a reexamination of building codes in every community, says Mory Katz, vice president, Verisk Insurance Solutions Commercial Property, Jersey City, N.J.
| Jan 31, 2013
California Building Standards Commission adopts 2013 code update
The California Building Standards Commission adopted the new 2013 state standards code that includes new energy code provisions, accessibility standards, green building and water use modifications.
| Jan 25, 2013
D.C. authority wants to halt sewer tunnel projects while investigating green stormwater alternatives
The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority has proposed suspending a tunnel-building project.
| Jan 25, 2013
Energy modeling needed to overcome ‘plug load problem’ to meet high green standards
Plug loads illustrate how much end-users impact overall building energy use.
