Author: Jim Edelson
When flying is essential, how to make an impact through voluntary carbon offsets
Post / March 24, 2023
Greenhouse gas emissions from the airline industry are reaching new heights. By 2050, more than a quarter of all global emissions are expected to come from the aviation industry, according to a UN report. While many individuals and organizations are...
Codes for Loads – Making Our Buildings Work with Renewable Power Grids
Post / July 22, 2021
Thirty states and the District of Columbia have adopted Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS), policies that require or set goals for all energy supply to be renewable by a chosen date mostly within the next two decades. The Biden Administration earlier...
Stretch Codes: A Key Tool on the Path to Carbon Neutral Buildings
Post / December 16, 2020
Adopting energy codes that go beyond the base, or required minimum code, is proving to be an effective way to achieve energy savings and reduce carbon emission from the built environment. We have long been hearing about states such as...
2019 was the Year of Energy Codes and a Big Year for Efficiency
Post / January 7, 2020
At the beginning of last year, we predicted that 2019 would be a big year for building energy codes, and the results are extremely promising for states—and cities which control their own energy codes–that are working to achieve climate action...
Making the Transition From Zero Energy to Zero Carbon Building Policies
Post / July 23, 2019 / Zero Net Energy (ZNE)
As the building industry transitions into a new era — one focused on delivering carbon-neutral buildings — building codes will continue to play a critical role. This is the third in a series of blog posts about the transformation occurring within...
Decarbonizing Buildings: A Changing Lexicon
Post / June 12, 2019
From kilowatts to carbon, the language we use matters. Building sector policies and programs across the nation are in the midst of a critical shift from delivering energy efficiency in terms of kWh, to policies and programs that seek carbon...
Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Goals Converge at the Built Environment
Post / April 17, 2019
With mounting evidence that immediate and aggressive action is necessary to address climate change, combined with a lack of leadership on this issue by the federal government, state and local governments are taking meaningful actions to adopt, honor, and meet...
The Louisville (Energy Codes) Saga
Post / May 16, 2016
Nearly 35 years ago, the US Congress passed the Energy Policy Act of 1992. Since then, every 3 years have seen an increase in building energy efficiency but now that may change. Although Congress wisely concluded back in 1992 that...
Global Climate Action and Energy Efficiency
Post / March 9, 2016
Global energy use is shifting. It is hard not to notice plunging prices for oil, coal and natural gas. In the past, whenever fossil fuels became cheaper, usage increased – but carbon emissions are not rising in response this time...
Codes Make a Difference–A Big Difference
Post / April 6, 2015
Since its inception nearly 18 years ago, NBI has maintained a strong emphasis on energy codes. Current NBI staff and board members continue the focus established early on by the organization’s founders. We know codes make a difference—a big difference....