Full Title: National Definition of a Zero Emissions Building Part 1: Operational Emissions from Energy Use, Version 1
Author(s): U.S. Department of Energy: Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy
Publisher(s): U.S. Department of Energy: Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy
Publication Date: June 1, 2024
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
Transitioning the building sector to zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions requires a broadly accepted definition of a “zero emissions building” with minimum criteria that a building must meet to qualify as “zero emissions,” as well as a pathway for documenting whether a building satisfies that definition. The National Definition of a Zero Emissions Building sets forth standardized, consistent, and measurable minimum criteria for a zero-emissions building that users can achieve through multiple pathways. The Definition is intended to provide guidance to help support the building sector moving toward zero emissions and thereby advance public- and private-sector climate goals.
The Definition sets forth minimum criteria that public and private entities can adopt, and these entities can demonstrate additional climate leadership by exceeding the minimum criteria.