AIA 2030 Commitment By the Numbers: Building Electrification

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{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[["a",["href","https:\/\/www.aia.org\/showcases\/6526928-aia-2030-commitment-by-the-numbers-renewab"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.aia.org\/resources\/6526864-aia-2030-commitment-by-the-numbers-report-","target","_new"]]],"sections":[[1,"h2",[[0,[],0,"AIA 2030 By the Numbers (RY2021)"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The AIA 2030 Commitment program offers architects a way to publicly show their dedication and track progress toward a carbon-neutral future. Explore the pages to learn about the annual performance of the architecture and design community toward its goal of carbon neutral buildings by 2030."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[0],1,"Go to the next section of the report: Renewable Energy \u003E "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[1],1,"Return to the By the Numbers report page \u003E"]]]]}

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The option to report energy modeling by fuel source is helping project teams blaze a trail toward universal building electrification—a wholesale switch from fossil-fuel-powered equipment to electricity-powered equipment.

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Mahlum has firm-wide goals fo zero embodied and operational carbon, with building electrification being integral to meeting this goal. Read the firm's case study below to learn more about how they reach their goals.

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[{"image_id":"6564694","caption":"AJORITY (51.4%) OF PROJECTS CALCULATED PEUI REDUCTION THROUGH THE ENERGY MODELED WITH FUEL SOURCES METHOD."},{"image_id":"6564695","caption":""}]

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2030 Commitment, energy efficiency, Progress Report, energy saving, energy reduction, Design Data Exchange, Predicted Energy Use Intensity, pEUI, 2022 By the Numbers report

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[{"body":{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[],"sections":[[1,"h2",[[0,[],0,"Move beyond fossil fuels through building electrification"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The 2030 Commitment originally focused exclusively on energy performance without regard for where the energy came from. But it\u2019s become increasingly clear that, although we may reach net zero energy while still using fossil fuels in our buildings, we will not reach net zero carbon."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"That\u2019s why in 2020 the DDx began offering the option to report energy models by fuel source, meaning users can indicate how much energy comes from fossil fuels and how much from electricity. In 2021, the number of projects reporting pEUI by fuel source increased 57.8%, totaling 1,056 projects. This represents 167 million total gross square feet, an 80% increase from 2020."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The option to report energy modeling by fuel source is helping project teams blaze a trail toward universal building electrification\u2014a wholesale switch from fossil-fuel-powered equipment to electricity-powered equipment. In 2021, 2030 Commitment signatories reported 505 all-electric buildings, up 67% from 2020. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Why electrify? In many regions, it\u2019s already the case that all-electric buildings have lower carbon emissions than those using fossil fuels. And with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in place, the U.S. is investing $20 billion in grid upgrades that include greater resilience and cleaner energy. So, preparing for electrified infrastructure now means lower carbon emissions in the future."]]]]},"title":"Building Electrification"},{"body":{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[],"sections":[[1,"h2",[[0,[],0,"Leveraging a clean grid: Mahlum "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Mahlum, with offices in Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington, first signed onto the 2030 Commitment in 2009. It now has a firm-wide goal of zero embodied and operational carbon for all its projects. Building electrification is becoming a bigger and bigger part of that, said Jesse Walton, AIA, Associate Principal at the firm. "]]],[1,"blockquote",[[0,[],0,"\u201cIt\u2019s a combination of our internal values around pushing for low-carbon design and our clients\u2019 values,\u201d Walton explained. \u201cOur grid is so clean out here in the Pacific Northwest. It makes a lot of sense if you\u2019re pushing for low carbon to go to all electric.\u201d "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"In 2021, Mahlum submitted all its projects by fuel sources for the first time. This year, 28% of submitted projects were all electric, and the firm hopes to improve on that benchmark as time goes on."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Walton emphasized that 2030 Commitment signatories shouldn\u2019t get discouraged when trying something new. \u201cOur data\u2019s not perfect,\u201d he conceded. Many of the projects didn\u2019t even have fuel-source data, so the team used a 50-50 gas-electric split as an estimate. Just like with pEUI, \u201cthe first couple years, it\u2019s a bit chaotic,\u201d he said. \u201cThen you begin to understand how to better collect, check, and analyze that data.\u201d"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Walton also noted that electrification often means using heat pumps, which require refrigerants that can have a high global warming potential (GWP). \u201cI think the electrification and carbon question is a complicated one,\u201d he said. A recent net zero energy project \u201chas an air-source heat pump system that contains refrigerants. If the goal is net zero carbon, we should not exclude refrigerants in our carbon calculations just because we\u2019re uncertain of the math.\u201d"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"With that said, regulatory agencies are stepping up around the world\u2014including in the U.S.\u2014to phase out the refrigerants with the highest GWP, and electrification remains a necessary transition to a fossil fuel\u2013free future."]]]]},"title":"Case Study "},{"body":{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[["a",["href","https:\/\/www.aia.org\/showcases\/6076709-design-for-energy","target","_blank"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.aia.org\/resources\/6307290-climate-action-plan","target","_blank"]]],"sections":[[3,"ul",[[[0,[],0,"Browse through the Framework for Design Excellence\u2019s "],[0,[0],1,"Design for Energy"],[0,[],0," principle to glean why designing for all-electric buildings is a priority strategy to decarbonize. "]],[[0,[],0,"Read "],[0,[1],1,"AIA\u2019s Climate Action Plan"],[0,[],0," to understand why all-electric buildings and increasing electrification is key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. "]]]]]},"title":"Resources"}]

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{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[],"sections":[[1,"h2",[[0,[],0,"Download "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Looking for additional data analysis talking points? Check out our supplemental PowerPoint for the 2021 reporting period."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Coming soon!"]]]]}

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