Review of the U.S. Policies, Codes, and Standards of Zero-Carbon Buildings

Yu, Fei; Feng, Wei; Leng, Jiawei; Wang, Yibo; Bai, Yang

doi:10.3390/buildings12122060

Review of the U.S. Policies, Codes, and Standards of Zero-Carbon Buildings

Journal Article · Thu Nov 24 00:00:00 EST 2022 · Buildings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12122060· OSTI ID:1986009

^[1]; ^[2]; Leng, Jiawei ^[3]; Wang, Yibo ^[4]; Bai, Yang ^[5]

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Southeast Univ., Nanjing (China)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Southeast Univ., Nanjing (China)
Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing (China). Institute of Electrical Engineering
Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shenzhen (China). Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology and Institute of Technology for Carbon Neutrality

The global issue of climate change has accelerated the international commitment to net-zero carbon emission development. Decarbonizing the building sector has been put on several governments’ sustainable development agendas. To provide a reference for decarbonizing the building sector, this paper summarizes the U.S. experience in zero-carbon buildings (ZCBs) from the aspects of policies, codes, and standards at the federal and local levels and those of professional societies. Based on the definition and boundaries of ZCBs, this paper introduces policies on building energy efficiency, electrification, on-site renewable energy deployment, and “buy clean”, illustrating highlights in building phases, energy systems, materials production, and fiscal incentives. The synergic efforts and coordination between federal and local levels and with professional societies are also introduced. Successful experiences in policy and standard implementation are summarized, including the systemic work of multilevel governance, clearly defined goals and stringent policies, constant upgrades of codes and standards, transparency in reporting and information sharing, and increased financial and investment opportunities. This paper provides concrete recommendations for developing zero-carbon building policies.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: China Scholarship Council; USDOE Office of Science (SC)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-05CH11231

OSTI ID:: 1986009

Journal Information:: Buildings, Journal Name: Buildings Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 12; ISSN 2075-5309

Publisher:: MDPICopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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