CALGreen Resources

Resources to help you comply with the California Green Building Standards Code — Part 11, Title 24, California Code of Regulations — better known as CALGreen. Now, there’s one central location where you can find numerous resources to support your CALGreen building projects.

Energy Code Ace

Your one-stop shop for no-cost tools, training and resources to help you comply with California’s Title 24, Part 6 Building Energy Codes and Title 20 Appliance Standards. Energy Code Ace is powered by the California Statewide Codes & Standards Program and vetted by the California Energy Commission.

Cost Study of the Building Decarbonization Code

The brand new “Cost Study of the Building Decarbonization Code” analyzes the incremental first cost and life cycle cost of two common building types that follow the code language in NBI’s Building Decarbonization Code. The study, which was supported by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), analyzes first costs for both all-electric and mixed-fuel paths for single-family and medium office prototypes. It also includes life cycle cost analysis for the single-family scenario. Ultimately, the cost study found that all-electric homes achieve construction savings and mixed-fuel buildings households are only nominally more expensive. It also found marginal additional first costs for property owners of the all-electric medium office building prototype, with most of those attributed to electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Additionally, researchers determined that life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) for the single-family prototypes produced both economic and societal benefits. Researchers used cost data from New York State, a relatively expensive market, in colder Climate Zone 5A.

CELIA Toolkit: Clean Energy Solutions for Low Income Communities

The Clean Energy for Low-Income Communities Accelerator (CELICA) is a toolkit that provides resources, models, and tools for developing low-income efficiency and renewable energy programs based on work in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Initiative Accelerators. This toolkit provides materials to help program administrators reduce energy burden for low-income communities by enhancing and expanding upon work funded through utility, state, or federal programs.

Building Performance Standards: A Framework for Equitable Policies to Address Existing Buildings

The purpose of this guide from the Urban Sustainability Directors Network is to walk through the process of Building Performance Standards (BPS) preparation, policy design, and implementation. The primary audience for this guide is local government staff working on building policy and program design. The guide is also intended to support other stakeholders involved with city policymaking, such as community advocacy groups and professional trade organizations.

Do No Harm: Achieving Net Zero Buildings

This video presentation features large-scale, real world projects and illuminates the power of urban zero energy targets to meet long-term climate action goals as well as term targets like New York City's carbon emissions limit for buildings (LL 97).

Exploring Building Performance Standards

Fighting climate change at the local level means taking serious steps to reduce carbon emissions generated by buildings. Understanding this, leading-edge cities are shifting to mandatory policies - the most powerful of which is a building performance standard. The Institute for Market Transformation's explainer on building performance standards includes a fact sheet, a comparison of building performance standards across the United States, and targeted resources for local governments and building owners and tenants.

Denver’s Net Zero Energy New Buildings & Homes Implementation Plan

The objectives of Denver's Net Zero Energy New Buildings & Homes Plan (NZE Plan) are to help create clean energy jobs, drive economic recovery, and improve energy equity through enhancements to the Denver Building and Fire Code with the goal of all new buildings achieving net zero energy by 2030.

Zero Energy Buildings: ACEEE Summer Study Presentation

This 13-slide PowerPoint presentation describes the current state of zero energy efforts in the U.S. and Canada and discuss challenges and key needed steps. More than 500 zero energy buildings and 6,000 zero energy or zero energy ready homes have been built in the United States. Programs to promote these buildings and homes are expanding as are “reach” building codes.

2021 IECC Zero Energy Appendix

This factsheet from New Buildings Institute and the Natural Resources Defense Council describes the Zero Energy Appendix for the 2021 IECC - an optional add-on to the 2021 IECC that supports state of city policy goals related to improving energy efficiency, renewable energy use and our climate.

Race to 100% Clean

This new visual U.S. "Story Map" from NRDC shows the six states (plus Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico) committed to 100% carbon free electricity; and the eight states, 210 cities, 12 large utilities (and more) pledged to achieving 100% clean electricity or "net-zero" emissions. It includes renewable portfolio standards, state emission reduction pledges, state energy efficiency resources standards, municipal clean energy commitments, utility emission reduction targets and corporate power purchase agreements, with explanations and links for more info. This is an easy-to-use format for finding info fast.

California’s Savings by Design Program

Savings by Design is providing support for buildings that achieve at least 40% energy savings above Title 24 code. This includes support for design teams, help with additional modeling and assistance with technical resources. The program also provides seminars on Net Zero Energy commercial and residential.

Getting to Zero: Final Report of the Massachusetts Zero Net Energy Buildings Task Force

The Massachusetts Zero Net Energy Buildings Task Force has developed a plan for transforming the building sector by creating a pathway toward zero net energy buildings in the Commonwealth.

Helping Cities Lead by Example: The Public Buildings Portfolio Management Initiative

Hundreds of cities, counties, and states around the country have set aggressive energy efficiency and climate goals. However, there is often a disconnect between these bold goals and the day-to-day operations of public buildings. NBI and our partners EcoEdge and Maalka have worked for several years with cities across the country to develop and implement city facility portfolio strategic energy plans. Watch this webinar to learn about the Public Building Portfolio Management process and the integrated set of open-source tools and free resources that this team has developed for local governments seeking to lead by example.

Hawaiian Electric Company’s Grid Modernization Strategy

In order to help reach the Hawaii renewable portfolio standard (RPS) mandate of 40% of net electricity sales by the end of 2030; 70% by the end of 2040; and 100% by the end of 2045, Hawaiian Electric Company has laid out a Grid Modernization Strategy. This strategy describes the scope and estimated cost of the work required to update the Hawaiian Electric Companies’ energy network in the next six years. Along with meeting RPS standards, a few objectives of this strategy include reducing the need for imported oil faster, grid resiliency in the case of outages, and more customer information and control over the energy they use. Through the Grid Modernization Strategy, Hawaiian Electric Company hope to spur economic growth and energy sustainability.

CAL Green Code

Part 11 of the Title 24 Building Standards Code is the California Green Building Standards Code, also known as the CAL Green Code. This is the first statewide green building standards code in the nation. The 2016 CAL Green Code became effective on January 1, 2017. All newly constructed buildings on new or existing sites shall comply with the CAL Green Code, Chapter 5. A CAL Green Code submittal to the DSA must include California Energy Code (Title 24, Part 6), Outdoor Water Regulations, and all other DSA mandatory measures.

Net Zero Energy Building Program

The Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation’s Net Zero Energy Building Program will award grants of up to $1 million to new construction or retrofit projects that achieve site net zero energy performance, or better, over the course of a year. Buildings must, at a minimum, offset all of their energy consumption with on-site generation from renewable resources. Grants will be paid incrementally, with full payment contingent on actual performance. The program goal is to encourage exemplary buildings that bring together beautiful design and careful construction to maximize energy efficiency, showcase renewable energy and, by educating the public and professionals, help pave the way for a larger shift in the building sector. The Foundation aims to fund projects that demonstrate that net zero energy buildings are realistic and achievable. These flagship projects will add to the knowledge base on Net Zero building design and operation.

Consumers Energy Zero Net Energy Pilot

In 2017, Consumers Energy implemented a new Zero Net Energy pilot program. This program engages the community, educates the building industry, and provides huge value in reducing the energy footprint in the region. The intent of the Zero Energy Pilot Program offering is to encourage building owners in the Consumers Energy territory to pursue whole building energy efficiency on their projects. The program encourages zero energy as a post-occupancy, measurable goal, by providing a suite of incentives (varying in dollar amount and requirements) to fund engineering support, cost-benefit analysis and post-occupancy measurement and verification.

Green Building Density Incentives Policy

Arlington County's green building program has been an effective tool for reducing the environmental impacts of buildings on the community and remains impactful by updating the green building density incentive program to stay relevant in a changing market. The new updates strengthens the County's commitment to sustainable community and green building efforts through offering floor area ratio bonuses to projects that achieve specific levels of LEED v4 certification.

Oregon Executive Order 17-20: Accelerating Efficiency in Oregon’s Built Environment to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Address Climate in Change

Oregon’s goal is to achieve net zero energy ready buildings as standard practice across the state. The Executive Order has outlined a three-pronged approach that considers efficiency in state buildings, new construction, and existing buildings. It will keep the state moving toward the Paris Climate Agreement goal while adding to the more than 40,000 existing efficiency-related jobs statewide and saving consumers and businesses money on their utility bills.

Carbon Free Boston

In 2016, Mayor Martin J. Walsh signed the Metro Boston Climate Mitigation Commitment, pledging to make Boston, Massachusetts carbon neutral by 2050. The Carbon Free Boston summary report quantifies the most effective combinations of strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across our energy, buildings, transportation, and waste sectors. The report is intended to provide an analytical framework for the City of Boston and its key stakeholders to use in making choices about which specific strategies and policies to pursue to achieve the goal of being carbon neutral by 2050. 

Minnesota’s Sustainable Building 2030

In May 2008 Minnesota adopted “Sustainable Building 2030” standards designed to achieve energy consumption reductions of 60% in 2010 (from the 2003 baseline), increasing 10% every five years towards an ultimate target of 90% in 2025. Beginning on July 1, 2010, all Minnesota State bonded projects — new and substantially renovated — that had not already started the Schematic Design Phase on August 1, 2009, were required to meet the Minnesota SB 2030 energy standards.

Accelerating Building Decarbonization: Eight Attainable Policy Pathways to Net Zero Carbon Buildings For All

World Resource Institute (WRI) research presents policy pathways to reach zero carbon buildings regardless of location or development status. The report identifies eight pathways countries can take to reach zero carbon buildings by reducing energy demand and cleaning energy supply.

City of Vancouver Zero Emissions Building Plan

The City of Vancouver, British Columbia's Zero Emissions Building Plan lays out four action strategies to require the majority of new buildings in Vancouver to have no operational greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 and that all new buildings have no greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. These strategies for achieving zero emissions in new buildings were developed specifically to ensure comfortable and healthy indoor environments, maximize local economic development, ensure long-term building resilience, protect housing affordability, and to facilitate achieving the City’s Renewable City Strategy target to have all buildings in Vancouver (including those already built) use only renewable energy by the year 2050.

2018 IECC Phoenix Amendments

On June 6, 2018, the Phoenix, Arizona City Council approved the adoption of the 2018 Phoenix Building Construction Code (PBCC). In this code Phoenix adopted the 2018 IECC code as their Energy Conservation Code. This code is intended to regulate the design and construction of buildings for effective use and conservation of energy over the useful life of each building, and to provide flexibility to permit the use of innovative approaches and techniques to achieve this objective.

Lessons in Commercial PACE Leadership: The Path from Legislation to Launch

Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing enables building owners to finance energy efficiency, renewable energy, and, in some states, non-energy building improvements through a voluntary special assessment on their properties. The report is a starting point for understanding what approaches have worked to establish successful Commercial PACE (C-PACE) programs. It examines the experience of programs across the country and provides insights for making the process smoother, and less cost and time-intensive, for new state and local governments sponsoring C-PACE programs. The report also provides a roadmap to key decision points on the path to setting up a program.

Guide to Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Financing Districts for Local Governments

Energy Financing Districts (Property Assessed Clean Energy, Sustainable Energy Financing, Clean Energy Assessment Districts, Contractual Assessments, or Special Tax Districts) were first proposed by the City of Berkeley, California in 2007 and have received increasing attention as a mechanism for financing residential or commercial clean energy projects, including energy efficiency, solar photovoltaic, or solar thermal systems. EFDs represent one specific and powerful example of an intellectual innovation that is broadly applicable to fostering a profitable transition to a clean energy economy at the local, regional, national, and global levels.

Santa Monica Residential Energy Reach Code and ZNE

In 2016, Santa Monica City Council adopted the newly proposed Santa Monica Reach Code. The Santa Monica Municipal Code was updated in 2017 to include the following Energy Code Updates: all new low-rise residential buildings shall be designed to use 15 percent less energy than the allowed energy budget established by the 2016 California Energy Code, and achieve an Energy Design Rating of Zero; and all new high-rise residential buildings, non-residential buildings, hotels and motels shall be designed to use ten percent less energy than the allowed energy budget established by the 2016 California Energy Code.

Atlanta Resolution to Adopt a Vision of 100% Renewable Clean Energy Powering the City by 2035

Atlanta has made a commitment to power the city entirely on renewable energy sources, including solar and wind, by 2035. 100% clean energy will create local jobs for Atlanta residents, reduce air pollution and associated public health risks, reduce the strain on water resources and save consumers money. Priority will be given to the lowest cost measures to meet energy needs including weatherization, cogeneration, district heating and cooling, decentralized electricity generation and smart grids/micro grids, the use of industrial waste heat, building controls, automated lighting, solar-powered hot water heaters and programs that create an energy-saving culture in the City of Atlanta. A cost-benefit analysis of generation resources and energy sector employment will be developed as part of the plan.

Hawaii HB 2182 – Carbon Sequestration Task Force

In Act 33, Session Laws of Hawaii 2017, the Hawaii established the carbon farming task force to gain an understanding of how agricultural land management practices can sequester carbon, provide greenhouse gas (GHG) benefits, and decrease marine sedimentation.  The legislature found that a parallel effort is needed to examine ways to add green canopy to urban areas to curb rising temperatures. The purpose of HB 2182 is to (1) create a new task force named as the GHG sequestration task force with similar goals as the carbon farming task force created by Act 33, but expands and makes it permanent; (2) align the State's clean energy and carbon sequestration efforts with climate initiative goals, and require that a member of the GHG sequestration task force also be a member of the climate change mitigation and adaptation commission; and (3) expand the mission of the GHG sequestration task force to examine opportunities to exploit carbon sequestering trees and vegetation to reduce urban temperatures. 

Pima County Net-Zero Energy Building Standard

The Net-Zero Energy Building Standard project was sponsored by the City of Tucson Office of Conservation and Sustainable Development. Pima County Development Services, Building Safety and Sustainability was the principle research group with assistance from the University of Arizona College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture and Tucson Water. The Net-Zero Energy Standard has a prescriptive residential section and a prescriptive commercial section covering apartments, office and retail. These building types represent approximately 30% of total energy use in the metro area. The Net-Zero Energy Standard also has a performance section for both residential and commercial that will allow buildings that cannot use the prescriptive path to achieve a net-zero certification by using energy modeling software.

Achieving 80×50: Reducing Energy Use, Creating Jobs, and Phasing Out Carbon Emissions in New York City’s Buildings

In September 2014, Mayor de Blasio committed New York City, New York to a long-term 80 percent greenhouse gas emissions reduction by the year 2050. The Achieving 80x50 plan is a proposed roadmap for achieving this goal though phase-in changes to the city's Energy Conservation Code. These changes are projected to create jobs and increase tax revenue along with hitting emissions reduction targets.

Energy Trust of Oregon’s Path to Net Zero

Energy Trust of Oregon offers incentives for commercial building teams seeking zero energy projects. Incentives are designed to support early design assistance like EUI goal setting, design charrettes, and early energy modeling. Early technical assistance is designed to support long-term operational energy savings.

New York Blueprint for Efficiency

The first 80x50 Buildings Partnership report, the Blueprint for Efficiency, delivers a groundbreaking framework to cut carbon in New York City’s large buildings. A collaborative effort from the city’s leading building and energy stakeholders, the Blueprint calls for a 20 percent reduction in energy use by 2030, driving NYC buildings 36 percent of the way to their 80x50 target.  The Blueprint provides a practical policy framework to reduce emissions in large buildings by 2030, as well as the infrastructure to deliver improvements at scale through 2050. Twenty-one detailed proposals shape this world-leading energy performance policy.

Connecticut 2018 Comprehensive Energy Strategy

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has prepared an update to Connecticut’s Comprehensive Energy Strategy (CES) to advance the State’s goal of creating a cheaper, cleaner, more reliable energy future for Connecticut’s residents and businesses. By statute, DEEP is required to periodically update the CES plan for all energy needs in the state, including, but not limited to, electricity, heating, cooling, and transportation. This CES analyzes energy use and key trends across these sectors, and it reports on progress made since 2013. Based on the analysis, DEEP made recommendations on eight priority strategies to guide administrative and legislative action over the next several years.

Austin Energy Conservation Audit and Disclosure (ECAD) Ordinance

Austin, Texas was one of the first cities to require building energy audits and energy performance disclosures for all homes and buildings that are served by Austin Energy and located within Austin city limits. ECAD promotes energy efficiency by identifying potential energy savings in homes, businesses, and multifamily properties. ECAD also helps meet some of the goals established in the Austin Climate Protection Plan, such as offsetting 900 megawatts of peak energy demand by 2025 to reduce Austin’s carbon footprint, and reducing our carbon dioxide emissions by over 365,000 metric tons by 2020.

Delaware Title 16: Chapter 7602 Code for Energy Conservation

This code requires that the Delaware Energy Office, or its successor, in consultation with the Green Building Council of the Home Builders Association of Delaware, shall establish programs to promote the construction of zero net energy homes. A zero net energy home or building is defined as a residence or commercial building that, through the use of energy efficient construction, lighting, appliances and on-site renewable energy generation, results in zero net energy consumption from the utility provider. Therefore, a zero net energy capable home must be energy efficient enough that if the home or building owner chooses to add on-site generation, net zero energy consumption could be achieved. By 2025, all new residential building construction in the State of Delaware must be zero net energy capable. By 2030, all new commercial building construction must also be zero net energy capable.

Berkeley Municipal Code Prohibiting Natural Gas Infrastructure in New Buildings

Berkeley, California is the first city to ban natural gas infrastructure in new low-rise buildings beginning Jan 1, 2020. This ordinance leverages the City’s authority under the California Constitution to prohibit installation of hazardous internal gas piping infrastructure when granting entitlements for new buildings, and as a result avoids California Energy Commission (CEC) regulations associated with asking permission to amend energy efficiency standard. The effect of this legislation will be that builders will be prohibited from applying for entitlements that include gas infrastructure—gas piping to heat water, space, food, etc.— except for specific building systems that have not yet been modeled for all-electric design by the CEC.

State Decarbonization Tracker

This is an interactive tool developed by Smart Electric Power Alliance to track decarbonization initiatives and goals by state. This tool also includes a list of goals put fourth by utilities to meet decarbonization targets, an a list of other resources outlining decarbonization commitments.

New York City Building Code Legislation

New York City will adopt portions of the NYSERDA NY Stretch Energy Code 2020 into the base code. Local Law No. 32, adopted January 8, 2018, requires the Commissioner of the Department of Buildings (DOB) to amend the New York City Energy Conservation Code (Energy Code) in 2019 and 2022 to bring the Energy Code up to date with the most recent version of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) model stretch energy code. Outcomes from adopting the stretch code include commercial building efficiency increases by 5% over the state code, and residential efficiency increases by 25% over the state code.

Massachusetts Green Communities Act

The Massachusetts Green Communities Act of 2008, significantly reforms the state’s energy policy, allowing cities to adopt their own stretch code, and makes a large new commitments to electric and natural gas energy efficiency programs, renewables, and clean fossil fuels like combined heat and power.

NYStretch Energy Code

New York has developed a voluntary stretch code which will provide local governments that wish to demonstrate leadership on climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions with a clear and high-impact opportunity to do so. “NYStretch” aims to provide a straightforward, flexible approach to achieving approximately 10 percent in energy savings for an energy boost beyond code for residential, commercial, and multi-family buildings.

City of Boulder Commercial Energy Code

Under Boulder’s Energy Conservation Code, commercial buildings must achieve energy performance significantly exceeding national code baselines. Permit applications for commercial buildings larger than 20,000 square feet must utilize predictive computer modeling to demonstrate energy performance that is at least 30% better than ASHRAE/IENSA Standard 90.1. Permit applications for commercial buildings of 20,000 square feet or less may demonstrate energy code compliance by predictive modeling, but are also allowed to utilize approved prescriptive standards that achieve energy performance of at least 30% better than the 2012 edition of the IECC.

California Long Term Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan

In 2008, the CPUC adopted California’s first Long Term Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan, presenting a single roadmap to achieve maximum energy savings across all major groups and sectors in California. The comprehensive plan is the state’s first integrated framework of goals and strategies for saving energy, covering government, utility, and private sector actions. It calls for 50% existing commercial buildings to be zero energy by 2030, new state buildings and major renovations zero energy by 2025, and 50% existing state owned buildings zero energy by 2025.

Cambridge Net Zero Action Plan

The Cambridge Net Zero Task Force was assigned to study the technical aspects of greenhouse gas emissions from buildings in greater detail and develop comprehensive, actionable, long and short term recommendations. In June 2015, the Net Zero Action Plan was adopted by City Council. The report addresses the following topics: reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from the built environment, improvement of energy efficiency and conservation in existing and new buildings, support for renewable energy generation both on- and off- site, and best practices to engage and educate users and influence occupant behavior.

Policies for Better Buildings: Cost-Effective Ways Cities Can Cut Carbon, Slash Costs, and Create Jobs

Rocky Mountain Institute outlines a cost-optimized point-of-sale policy that can yield over $4 billion in lifetime energy cost savings for existing buildings—in conjunction with existing policies—reduce CO2e emissions in the buildings sector by 67 percent, in support of the target City’s 2050 goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent. The actions outlined in this paper can enable cities to start driving carbon emissions reductions in their existing buildings.

Lancaster Mandatory Solar Ordinance

In 2011, the City of Lancaster, California set a goal to become the first net-zero energy city, defined as producing or procuring more electricity within city limits from renewable sources than is consumed. By the end of 2014, the city was 54% of the way to achieving its phase one goal, with 117 MW of solar production operational or under construction. The city’s suite of policies and programs supporting the ZNE goal has brought financial benefits to taxpayers, schools and individual families. The ZNE Ordinance mandates all builders to install a solar system equal to two watts per square foot for each home built, beginning in 2017. Builders will have three options available to comply with the City’s Zero Net Energy requirement: a solar component, mitigation fees in lieu of a solar component, or a combination of both.

Colorado Community Solar Gardens Modernization Act HB19 1003

Colorado became the first in the nation to pass state-wide shared renewables legislation in 2010. In 2019, with the Community Solar Gardens Act is delivering on its promise of increasing participation in the state’s growing clean energy economy, Colorado expanded the program further with HB19 1003. The Act included direction on a number of design elements that make shared renewables agreeable for utilities, developers, and consumers alike. Colorado defines solar gardens as projects between 10 kilowatts to 2 megawatts.

Washington, D.C. Building Performance Standards

Updated 2021: The Building Energy Performance Standard refers to a suite of interconnected policies and programs designed to drive investment in cost effective energy performance improvements in existing buildings, both public and private. They propose a set of measures to improve performance and set minimum performance standards for District government facilities, and propose a series of measures to improve transparency and accuracy of energy data. To drive deep reductions in private buildings, they recommend the further investigation of two options—a minimum energy performance standard for private buildings, and a revenue neutral carbon pricing system.

zEPI Jurisdictional Score

Cities and states adopt energy codes in a variety of ways and from a variety of sources, and according to a wide range of statutory requirements. However, a few general sources known as model codes serve as the foundation for most of the codes, with variations of the model codes frequently applied in individual jurisdictions. The purpose of calculating “zEPI Jurisdictional Scores” is to provide a stable scalar on which city and state energy code policies can be compared in their relation to Zero Net Energy. This document describes the methodology by which that zEPI scalar is applied for this purpose.

The Massachusetts State Building Code & Climate Change

This policy primer and summary of coverings discuss the changing role of Massachusetts State Building Code (MSBC). It details pathways for MSBC to adapt to climate change and maintain its purpose of creating a safe and reliable built environment. Some of these pathways include Amendments to the tenth edition of MSBC, adoption of a new model code or certification program, changes to or replacement of the stretch energy code, and new legislation.

Canada Green Building Council Roadmaps for Retrofits in Canada

CaGBC’s "A Roadmap for Retrofits in Canada" demonstrates the critical role that existing buildings play in realizing Canada’s low carbon future. The report provides recommendations to retrofit large buildings that will contribute to achieving a reduction in GHG emissions of at least 30 per cent (or 12.5 million tons[1]) by 2030, with the potential to reach 51 per cent or 21.2 million tons.

Toronto Zero Emissions Buildings Framework

The Toronto, Ontario Framework comprises a full set of targets for the five most common building archetypes that require increasing levels of performance over time. Four tiers of performance were developed to take the building industry from today’s building practices to a near-zero emissions level of performance by the year 2030.  The emphasis on total energy use, thermal demand reduction and GHGI encourages a passive design-first approach coupled with high efficiency active systems, such as heat recovery, and improved air tightness.

CAGBC Zero Carbon Framework

Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) has created a new zero carbon standard for assessing the carbon performance of commercial, institutional, and multi-family buildings in Canada. The CaGBC Zero Carbon Building Standard is a unique, made-in-Canada solution to achieving our climate change commitments, providing a path for both new and existing buildings to reach zero carbon.

Green Bank Network

The Green Bank Network connects Green Bank leaders in clean energy finance to share best practices and support investment in clean energy solutions. The Network provides knowledge for jurisdictions seeking to establish a Green Bank to facilitate private investment into domestic low-carbon, climate-resilient infrastructure.

Carbon Neutral City of Austin

Austin, Texas aims to get to carbon neutrality for City of Austin operations by 2020, and Net-zero for community-wide greenhouse gases by 2050. Through the implementation of new transit infrastructure, new building codes, metrics and target tracking, and community engagement, Austin hopes to become a leading city on carbon reduction.

King County Carbon Neutral Implementation Plan

The plan recommends that King County, Washington's new 2020 Strategic Climate Action Plan (SCAP) establish stronger goals than the 2015 SCAP for government operations to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 25% by 2020, 50% by 2025 and 80% by 2030. The Plan is informed by modeling of technically feasible but ambitious strategies that would collectively achieve the new goals. The Plan outlines the preliminary assessment of requirements of the County (in terms of staff, resources, strategic planning) as well as external factors (e.g. market for new technology) that would be needed to achieve these goals. Meeting these accelerated goals will require tough financial and policy choices about a host of actions from vehicle electrification to recycling.

RePower PVD

RepowerPVD is the City of Providence’s voluntary energy challenge program, designed to help large buildings in the city conserve energy, save money, and gain recognition for their leadership and contributions to Mayor Elorza’s goal to make Providence carbon neutral by 2050. The program is comprised of two tracks: 1) 20 percent reduction by 2025 - Using a 2015 baseline, property owners may enter any building over 10,000 square feet by committing to reduce energy consumption 20 percent by 2025. 2) Race to Zero - Property owners may also enter their buildings into the “race” to become the first Zero Energy Building (ZEB) in Providence.

Appendix Z

Washington, D.C’s Clean Energy DC Plan includes a recommendation for the city to establish a pathway for the phased adoption of net-zero energy building codes between 2020 (residential) and 2026 (commercial and multi-family). For the purposes of this commercial Energy Conservation Code, and prior to the time when the District adopts a mandatory net zero energy code for new construction, Appendix Z is intended to be a voluntary alternative pathway for project teams to comply with the code.

Park City Zero Carbon Policy

Park City, Utah has made North America’s most ambitious climate goals: to be net-zero carbon and run on 100% renewable electricity for city operations by 2022, and for the whole community by 2032. In an effort to achieve this goal, Park City has adopted Resolution 28-2017 requiring Net Zero Energy Performance Requirements for all new or renovated municipal buildings.

San Antonio Energy Efficiency Fund

On August 8, 2011 the San Antonio, Texas City Council passed Ordinance 2011-08-18-0657, which established the Energy Efficiency Fund (EEF) to fund energy conservation projects in its facilities that reduce utility expenditures. The fund was designed to receive utility saving dollars from completed utility conservation projects as well as project incentives or rebates received from CPS Energy and SAWS. City Council adopted a mechanism to return the utility savings and incentives or rebates from utility conservation projects funded by the EEF back to the EEF. All current and future projects as well as associated personnel costs are funded out of the EEF without incurring debt. This method has effectively turned a one-time influx of grant funds into a permanent source of revenue for energy projects. San Antonio is the only city in the State of Texas with such a fund in place and is one of only a handful in the country to utilize this model.

Financing Energy Improvements on Utility Bills: Market Updates and Key Program Design Considerations for Policymakers and Administrators

Energy efficiency program administrators and policymakers are exploring ways to increase their reliance on financing with the aim of amplifying the impact of limited program monies. In this context, offering programs that enable consumers to finance energy efficiency improvements on their utility bills are receiving increasing attention. The primary objectives of this report are to provide an updated review and analysis of existing on-bill programs, and to offer actionable insights on key program design issues for consideration by state policymakers, utility regulators and program administrators.

Washington State Zero Energy Code Roadmap

The purpose of this roadmap is to provide context for the policy and code performance goals for new residential and commercial buildings in Washington law and identify the mechanisms and cycles by which code provisions can evolve to meet these goals. These code improvements will occur in incremental steps and this document will help identify the order and priority that is needed to lay the groundwork for subsequent code and policy strategies to improve code language. The improvements can be mapped into the planned code cycles remaining between now and the target achievement date for Washington’s policy goals for building stock. The Roadmap will also identify scope and policy barriers as well as opportunities that will need to be addressed to achieve the long‐term goals identified.

C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group

The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, after more than a decade of operation, now connects more than 80 of the world’s greatest cities, representing over 600 million people and one quarter of the global economy. Created and led by cities, C40 is focused on tackling climate change and driving urban action that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and climate risks while increasing the health, wellbeing and economic opportunities of urban citizens.

Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance (CNCA)

Cities striving for carbon neutrality recognize that averting the worst impacts of climate change will require cutting GHG emissions by at least 80% by 2050. Because urban areas account for nearly three-quarters of humanity’s emissions, reaching this goal will depend in large part on our ability to reimagine and reinvent cities in ways that promote economic prosperity, social equity, enhanced quality of life, and climate resilience. The Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance (CNCA or “Alliance”) aims to address what it will take for leading international cities to achieve these deep emissions reductions, and how these cities can work together to meet their respective goals more efficiently and effectively.

Rockefeller 100 Resilients Cities

100 Resilient Cities—Pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation (100RC) is dedicated to helping cities around the world become more resilient to the physical, social and economic challenges that are a growing part of the 21st century. Cities in the 100RC network are provided with the resources necessary to develop a roadmap to resilience along four main pathways: (1) financial and logistical guidance for establishing an innovative new position in city government, the Chief Resilience Officer, who will lead the city’s resilience efforts; (2) support for development of a robust resilience strategy; (3) access to solutions, service providers, and partners from the private, public and NGO sectors who can help them develop and implement their resilience strategies; and (4) membership of a global network of member cities who can learn from and help each other.

Bloomberg American Cities Climate Challenge

The American Cities Climate Challenge is an opportunity for 25 cities to significantly deepen and accelerate their efforts to tackle climate change and promote a sustainable future for their residents. 25 cities have been accepted into a two-year acceleration program with powerful resources and access to cutting-edge support to help them meet – or beat – their near-term carbon reduction goals. These resources include a philanthropy-funded team member to facilitate the development and passage of high impact policies, training for senior leadership to assist with implementation of their proposed climate plans, and citizen engagement support to maximize community buy-in.

City Energy Project

NRDC + IMT’s City Energy Project is a national initiative to create healthier and more prosperous American cities by improving the energy efficiency of buildings. Working in partnership, the Project and cities support innovative, practical solutions that cut energy waste, boost local economies, and reduce harmful pollution. The pioneering actions of the 20 cities involved in the City Energy Project will be models for communities nationwide and around the world.

Vermont Comprehensive Energy Plan

Vermont’s Comprehensive Energy Plan was the first step in the development of the zero energy roadmap. The plan includes three primary goals: (1) to reduce total energy consumption per capita by 15% by 2025, and by more than one third by 2050; (2) to meet 25% of the remaining energy need from renewable sources by 2025, 40% by 2035, and 90% by 2050; and (3) by 2025, meet target end use sectors of 10% renewable transportation, 30% renewable buildings, and 67% renewable electric power.

Greenovate Boston 2014 Climate Action Plan Update

The Greenovate Boston 2014 Climate Action Plan Update builds upon seven years of work in reducing citywide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and preparing for the unavoidable impacts of climate change. Beginning with the 2007 Executive Order on Climate Action, the City of Boston, Massachusetts set GHG reduction goals of 25 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050 for municipal operations, and requires the City to plan and prepare for the impacts of climate change. An updated 2019 plan will include actions to reach the carbon neutral by 2050 goal.

Underwriting Efficiency: A Mortgage Lender’s Handbook for Realizing Energy and Water Efficiency Opportunities in Multifamily Housing

Community Preservation Corporation (CPC) created this handbook for mortgage lenders to realize energy and water efficiency opportunities in multifamily housing. This handbook provides professionals involved in the origination, underwriting, closing, and servicing of multifamily mortgages the information and tools necessary to finance energy and water efficiency measures as part of a first mortgage.