Achieving Net-Zero Buildings

Organizations are pursuing decarbonization activities in response to the setting of internal GHG reduction goals and regulations.  The eventual outcome of these drivers is to achieve net zero carbon emissions from the built environment in the coming decades.

This course focuses direct strategies and measures necessary to attain net zero emissions in buildings. The topics covered include:

• Actions for achieving net zero emissions in new buildings.
• Analysis of retrofit strategies and pathways for existing facilities.
• Non-retrofit approaches to emission reduction (such as Renewable Energy Credits, Onsite Generation, Carbon Offsets, etc.).
• Examination of related certifications (Passive House and CAGBC Zero Carbon Building Standard).
• Non-energy emissions like embodied emissions and refrigerants.

In this two-day course, participants will learn about decarbonizing new and existing buildings as well as alternatives to decarbonization retrofits for buildings without access to low carbon fuel sources. The course will provide case studies and practical activities from a variety of building types including commercial, multi-unit residential and institutional.  One of the core takeaways from this course will be that participants will apply what they learned by creating their own low carbon roadmap to take an existing building in their portfolio down to net zero emissions.

In this course you will learn to

• Design a net-zero pathway for a building.
• Pinpoint building emission sources throughout its lifecycle.
• Apply emission reduction strategies for buildings in consideration of carbon intensive electricity grids.
• Determine optimal retrofit sequences in an existing building.

This course is ideal for

This course is relevant to anyone involved in facility management, operations management and planning, or sustainability planning. It is especially valuable to those tasked with identifying and implementing decarbonization projects in commercial, industrial, multi-unit residential, and institutional buildings.

• Sustainability, environment, or decarbonization managers
• Building or portfolio assets managers
• Energy managers
• Building owners and operators