Achieving Net Zero Buildings

Organizations are pursuing decarbonization activities to meet internal goals and regulations for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The ultimate objective of these efforts is to achieve net zero carbon emissions from the built environment in the coming decades.

This course is focused on the direct strategies and measures needed to achieve 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 reductions such as renewable energy credits, onsite generation, carbon offsets, etc. 
• Examination of related certifications (Passive House and the CAGBC Zero Carbon Building Standard) 
• Non-energy emissions such as embodied emissions and refrigerants. 

In this two-day course, participants gain knowledge on decarbonizing both new and existing buildings. They also explore alternative methods for retrofitting buildings that do not consume low carbon fuel sources. The course provides case studies and practical activities from a variety of building types in the commercial, multi-unit residential, and institutional sectors.

As a core takeaway from this course, participants create their own low carbon roadmap to enable them to achieve net zero emissions in an existing building in their portfolio. 

In this course, you will learn to

• Design a net-zero pathway for a building. 
• Pinpoint emission sources throughout the building life cycle. 
• Apply emission reduction strategies for buildings while considering 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 
• Sustainability/climate change managers 
• Building owners and operators