Architects and engineers participating in the AIA’s 2030 Commitment are reporting the greatest reduction in predicted energy use (pEUI) in the program’s 10-year history.
“This year marks a critical inflection point for the program and climate action,” said 2020 AIA President Jane Frederick, FAIA. “This report outlines a vision for the coming years, which is anchored in community advocacy, adoption of on-site and off-site renewable energy sources, and increased attention to embodied carbon.”
The report—2030 by the Numbers: The 2019 Summary of the AIA 2030 Commitment—amalgamates predicted energy use data in buildings from 311 companies participating in the 2030 Commitment and analyzes design phase data from more than 20,300 projects. Architects, engineers, and building owners involved in the projects achieved a 49 percent overall pEUI reduction. The reduction is equivalent to avoiding 20.2 million metric tons of CO2 emissions. Other notable data included in the report:
- 241 whole building projects designed to be net-zero energy.
- 69 percent increase in firms meeting the 70 percent pEUI reduction since 2018.
- 27 large and small companies met 2030 Commitment targets.
As participants continue to improve reducing carbon emissions, AIA is upgrading its Design Data Exchange (DDx) platform to streamline the project reporting process and to improve user experience. The new platform will support optional data points—including embodied carbon and off-site renewables—that will deliver expanded insights into building performance.
AIA is also continuing its efforts to drive climate action in the built environment following its landmark initiative last year. Earlier this year, AIA released its Climate Action Plan and Architect’s Policy Platform, which outline AIA’s goals for carbon reduction and climate action policy initiatives respectively.
Complete details of the AIA 2030 Commitment program can be found on AIA’s website.
Related Stories
Engineers | Oct 23, 2024
Navigating battery energy storage augmentation
By implementing an augmentation plan upfront, owners can minimize potential delays and unforeseen costs when augmentation needs to occur, according to Burns & McDonnell energy storage technology manager Joshua Crawford.
Sustainable Design and Construction | Oct 10, 2024
Northglenn, a Denver suburb, opens a net zero, all-electric city hall with a mass timber structure
Northglenn, Colo., a Denver suburb, has opened the new Northglenn City Hall—a net zero, fully electric building with a mass timber structure. The 32,600-sf, $33.7 million building houses 60 city staffers. Designed by Anderson Mason Dale Architects, Northglenn City Hall is set to become the first municipal building in Colorado, and one of the first in the country, to achieve the Core certification: a green building rating system overseen by the International Living Future Institute.
Hospital Design Trends | Sep 26, 2024
Hospital benchmarking survey shows sharp rise in hospital energy costs
Grumman|Butkus Associates, a firm of energy efficiency consultants and sustainable design engineers, recently released the results of its 2023 Hospital Energy and Water Benchmarking Survey, focusing on healthcare facilities’ resource usage trends and costs for calendar years 2021 and 2022.
Office Buildings | Sep 6, 2024
Fact sheet outlines benefits, challenges of thermal energy storage for commercial buildings
A U.S. Dept. of Energy document discusses the benefits and challenges of thermal energy storage for commercial buildings. The document explains how the various types of thermal energy storage technologies work, where their installation is most beneficial, and some practical considerations around installations.
Industrial Facilities | Aug 28, 2024
UK-based tire company plans to build the first carbon-neutral tire factory in the U.S.
ENSO, a U.K.-based company that makes tires for electric vehicles, has announced plans to build the first carbon-neutral tire factory in the U.S. The $500 million ENSO technology campus will be powered entirely by renewable energy. The first-of-its-kind tire factory aims to be carbon neutral without purchased offsets, using carbon-neutral raw materials and building materials.
Adaptive Reuse | Aug 14, 2024
KPF unveils design for repositioning of Norman Foster’s 8 Canada Square tower in London
8 Canada Square, a Norman Foster-designed office building that’s currently the global headquarters of HSBC Holdings, will have large sections of its façade removed to create landscaped terraces. The project, designed by KPF, will be the world’s largest transformation of an office tower into a sustainable mixed-use building.
Energy Efficiency | Aug 9, 2024
Artificial intelligence could help reduce energy consumption by as much as 40% by 2050
Artificial intelligence could help U.S. buildings to significantly reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, according to a paper by researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Government Buildings | Aug 1, 2024
One of the country’s first all-electric fire stations will use no outside energy sources
Charlotte, N.C.’s new Fire Station #30 will be one of the country’s first all-electric fire stations, using no outside energy sources other than diesel fuel for one or two of the fire trucks. Multiple energy sources will power the station, including solar roof panels and geothermal wells. The two-story building features three truck bays, two fire poles, dispatch area, contamination room, and gear storage.
Products and Materials | Jul 31, 2024
Top building products for July 2024
BD+C Editors break down July's top 15 building products, from Façades by Design to Schweiss Doors's Strap Latch bifold door.
Geothermal Technology | Jul 29, 2024
Rochester, Minn., plans extensive geothermal network
The city of Rochester, Minn., home of the famed Mayo Clinic, is going big on geothermal networks. The city is constructing Thermal Energy Networks (TENs) that consist of ambient pipe loops connecting multiple buildings and delivering thermal heating and cooling energy via water-source heat pumps.
