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Sustainable Design Center

Leaders and Standards in Sustainability

As the focus on sustainability becomes more widespread within the buildings industry, a variety of organizations are working to develop and refine design and performance standards. Some of the leaders in this movement are listed below, along with links to their websites.

Architecture 2030

Started in 2002, this non-profit’s 2030 Challenge sets a timeline for reducing fossil fuel consumption to zero (i.e. Carbon Neutral) by the year 2030, starting from a 60 percent reduction in 2010, with 10 percent additional reductions every 5 years. The 2030 Challenge has been embraced by organizations including the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

US Department of Energy (DOE)
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
Building Technologies Program

DOE’s Building Technologies Program calls for commercially marketable Net Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB’s) by 2025, and focuses on better integration of existing technologies as well as development of new ones. Its Lawrence Berkeley National Lab is investing $100 million in technology research and development to help achieve the 2025 goal.

US Green Building Council (USGBC)

It’s hard to find anyone in our industry these days who has not heard of the USGBC’s LEED program, which has established a common standard of measurement for green buildings. Introduced in 1998 and greatly expanded since then, LEED recently added optional credits for using non-ozone-depleting refrigerants and for purchasing green power.

Cascadia Region Green Building Council

The local “Cascadia” chapter of the USGBC has raised the sustainability bar even higher with its “Living Building Challenge.” The Living Building Challenge sets forth 16 prerequisites that all buildings must meet; among them is net zero energy.

ASHRAE

This organization of mechanical engineers has rolled out the “ASHRAEVision 2020” program, focused on developing the “the tools necessary to design, construct, and operate NZEBS” so that they are market-viable by 2030. ASHRAE aims to have all the tools in place by 2020 and has already completed its Advanced Energy Guides for small office buildings, small retail buildings, K-12 schools, and small warehouses. Other tools in the works include user-friendly energy modeling interfaces, target energy budgets for building types and climates, and, by working with manufacturers and others, equipment with greatly reduced plug loads. The Vision 2020 website: www.ashrae.org/vision2020.

New Buildings Institute (NBI)

Focused on energy efficiency and commercial new construction NBI advocates for better codes, promotes leadership, and advances new technology and design practices. A recent NBI study, “Energy Performance of LEED for New Construction Buildings,” provides analysis of actual energy performance levels of LEED-NC buildings. The study looks at 121 LEED-NC buildings across the country, and suggests significant opportunities for program improvement. In addition to research, NBI provides programs and resources. “Getting to 50” is a tool to help architects and owners achieve buildings that are 50-percent more efficient than industry standards.

Energy Star

A familiar name in the sustainability movement, Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. The program’s goals include protecting the environment and saving money through energy efficient products and practices. For buildings, Energy Star offers guidelines, target finders, and recommendations to increase energy performance and to reduce carbon footprint. Recently, the EPA reached out to schools through the Energy Star Challenge, a pledge to improve energy efficiency in buildings. More than 500 school districts across the country have already committed to energy reductions through Energy Star. PAE is an Energy Star Partner.

American Association for Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)

With a membership comprised of colleges and universities, AASHE seeks to empower institutions of higher education to become leaders in the sustainability movement. By the year 2011, AASHE endeavors to expand its membership to include 2,000 organizations, and to implement the STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System,) program at a minimum of 500 campuses. Similar to LEED, the STARS system provides a framework for gauging progress towards sustainability, targeted specifically for institutions of higher education. The STARS system attempts to rate rather than rank sustainability benchmarks.

American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment

This organization operates on the premise that colleges and universities must be models for society at-large through their commitment to eliminating global warming and to achieving climate neutrality. ACUPCC asks college and university Presidents to sign a document committing to eliminate their campuses’ greenhouse gas emissions over time. Signatories of the commitment implement institutional changes such as eliminating net greenhouse gas emissions from designated campus operations, and promoting research and educational efforts to reverse global warming. By 2009, nearly 700 institutions joined ACUPCC, including 15 in the state of Oregon and over 30 in the state of Washington.

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