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
Smart Buildings | Jul 25, 2024
A Swiss startup devises an intelligent photovoltaic façade that tracks and moves with the sun
Zurich Soft Robotics says Solskin can reduce building energy consumption by up to 80% while producing up to 40% more electricity than comparable façade systems.
Healthcare Facilities | Jul 18, 2024
Why decarbonizing hospitals smartly is better than electrification for healthcare design
Driven by new laws, regulations, tariffs, ESG goals, and thought leaders in the industry itself, healthcare institutions are embracing decarbonization to meet 2050 goals for emissions reductions.
Concrete Technology | Jun 17, 2024
MIT researchers are working on a way to use concrete as an electric battery
Researchers at MIT have developed a concrete mixture that can store electrical energy. The researchers say the mixture of water, cement, and carbon black could be used for building foundations and street paving.
K-12 Schools | Apr 30, 2024
Fully electric Oregon elementary school aims for resilience with microgrid design
The River Grove Elementary School in Oregon was designed for net-zero carbon and resiliency to seismic events, storms, and wildfire. The roughly 82,000-sf school in a Portland suburb will feature a microgrid—a small-scale power grid that operates independently from the area’s electric grid.
Codes and Standards | Apr 12, 2024
ICC eliminates building electrification provisions from 2024 update
The International Code Council stripped out provisions from the 2024 update to the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) that would have included beefed up circuitry for hooking up electric appliances and car chargers.
Sustainability | Mar 21, 2024
World’s first TRUE-certified building project completed in California
GENESIS Marina, an expansive laboratory and office campus in Brisbane, Calif., is the world’s first Total Resource Use and Efficiency (TRUE)-certified construction endeavor. The certification recognizes projects that achieve outstanding levels of resource efficiency through waste reduction, reuse, and recycling practices.
Legislation | Mar 21, 2024
Bill would mandate solar panels on public buildings in New York City
A recently introduced bill in the New York City Council would mandate solar panel installations on the roofs of all city-owned buildings. The legislation would require 100 MW of solar photovoltaic systems be installed on public buildings by the end of 2025.
Green | Mar 5, 2024
New York City’s Green Economy Action Plan aims for building decarbonization
New York City’s recently revealed Green Economy Action Plan includes the goals of the decarbonization of buildings and developing a renewable energy system. The ambitious plan includes enabling low-carbon alternatives in the transportation sector and boosting green industries, aiming to create more than 12,000 green economy apprenticeships by 2040.
MFPRO+ News | Feb 15, 2024
Nine states pledge to transition to heat pumps for residential HVAC and water heating
Nine states have signed a joint agreement to accelerate the transition to residential building electrification by significantly expanding heat pump sales to meet heating, cooling, and water heating demand. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by directors of environmental agencies from California, Colorado, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Rhode Island.
Codes | Feb 9, 2024
Illinois releases stretch energy code for building construction
Illinois is the latest jurisdiction to release a stretch energy code that provides standards for communities to mandate more efficient building construction. St. Louis, Mo., and a few states, including California, Colorado, and Massachusetts, currently have stretch codes in place.
