LEED study examines building energy performance outcomes

Timeline Stories / June 27, 2022

  This paper presented a study of whole building energy use of various completed LEED buildings throughout the nation. The paper focused on the relationships between predicted and actual energy performance of 90 completed LEED certified buildings. The results of...

NBI Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary

Timeline Stories / June 23, 2022

  “When NBI formed to accelerate the impact of energy codes, the climate crisis wasn’t part of mainstream conversation in the built environment. After 25 years of leadership towards a cleaner, healthier future, NBI leads the best thinking about how...

Partnership with PACE Equity results in CIRRUS Low Carbon Program

Timeline Stories / June 22, 2022

  NBI partnered with PACE Equity on developing the CIRRUS™ Low Carbon Program, which provides specialty financing that rewards projects for pursuing a lower carbon design and construction option. The program is based on an NBI-developed low-carbon specification is for...

Multifamily Guide addresses all aspects of energy performance

Timeline Stories / June 17, 2022

  NBI’s Multifamily Guide recommends advanced energy efficiency measures that offer energy savings for all sizes of multifamily buildings, and provides guidance to resolve key issues for multifamily buildings.   Image: Ramona Apartments, Portland, OR | Sally Painter Photography

NBI Celebrates 20th Anniversary

Timeline Stories / June 17, 2022

Using interviews and guest blog submissions the story of the legacy of NBI was given centerstage to celebrate those NBI thought leaders who made their imprint on the organization and the built environment. Learn more. 

New Construction Guide offers a comprehensive, prescriptive approach

Timeline Stories / June 15, 2022

  Increasing energy code stringency and owner demand for higher efficiency in buildings are challenging design teams to deliver high performance without adding costs. The New Construction Guide was designed to offer a comprehensive prescriptive approach to new commercial construction...

New guide provides school districts with pathways to carbon neutral buildings

Timeline Stories / June 15, 2022

  Informed from participants in the Getting to Zero in California’s School Districts cohort, NBI staff compiled learnings to create the Decarbonization Roadmap Guide for School Decision Makers. The guide includes a full toolbox of customizable resources and templates and...

Denver Shows Leadership with net zero plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions

Timeline Stories / March 28, 2022

  The City and County of Denver released a comprehensive plan to achieve net zero energy (NZE) in new buildings and homes by 2030, one of many initiatives being taking to meet the jurisdiction’s goal of an 80% reduction in...

San José Adopts Strongest Building Code Among Large Cities

Timeline Stories / March 28, 2022

    San José adopted aggressive action to reduce carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions by going beyond the minimum requirements of California’s latest Building Energy Efficiency Standards and encouraging the electrification of buildings. NBI served as a facilitator and...

Massachusetts adopts stretch code based on NBI’s Core Performance protocol

Timeline Stories / March 28, 2022

  The code, based on New Buildings Institute’s Core Performance protocol, was designed to reduce energy use by 30 percent and cut carbon emissions by 40 percent. Upon passing, municipalities in the commonwealth were able to choose whether to adopt...

Getting to Zero Status Update reports on 21 verified zero energy buildings

Timeline Stories / March 18, 2022

  When first released, this report compiled a list of 21 verified zero-energy commercial buildings (ZEBs) and 78 zero-energy-capable buildings (ZECs) in the U.S. and Canada. The study examined what features the buildings shared as well as incremental cost considerations....

Building Decarbonization Code released

Timeline Stories / March 16, 2022

  The Building Decarbonization Code is a groundbreaking tool from NBI aiming to deliver carbon neutral performance. It is designed to help states and cities working to mitigate carbon resulting from energy use in the built environment, which accounts for...

NBI moves into PAE’s Living Building in Portland Oregon

Timeline Stories / March 15, 2022

  NBI is now headquartered in the most sustainable building in Portland, Oregon! PAE’s Living Building on First Avenue in Portland combines deep sustainability including onsite composting and water treatment, and radiant flooring, with light, bright aesthetics to provide a...

Codes For Climate Initiative launches to address carbon neutral building codes

Timeline Stories / March 15, 2022

  NBI and RMI announced a new initiative to support the development and adoption of climate-aligned new construction codes and existing building performance standards for states and cities that are advancing beyond what the national model codes are offering. Codes...

BETR study characterizes available technologies for electrification programs

Timeline Stories / March 15, 2022

  The Building Electrification Technology Roadmap (BETR) is a first-of-its-kind study from NBI focused on accelerating adoption of efficient electric technologies that displace fossil fuel technologies. It is a comprehensive look at electrification technology options across various residential and commercial building types. 

First ever Next Gen Cohort of young professionals forms

Timeline Stories / March 15, 2022

  NBI welcomed 20 students from college campuses across the U. S. and Canada to the inaugural cohort of the Next Gen program. Next Gen was designed to foster the next generation of leadership in the Getting to Zero buildings...

AWHI launches in West Coast States

Timeline Stories / March 15, 2022

  The Advanced Water Heating Initiative (AWHI) launches in California, Washington, and Oregon with the aim to scale heat pump water heater (HPWH) installations by shaping policies, building demand, bringing products to market, and educating the supply chain. Since its...

GridOptimal© Initiative helps address grid integration of the built environment

Timeline Stories / March 15, 2022

  NBI, in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), led a national coalition committed to better integrating buildings into utility grid management strategies. This project developed new metrics by which building features and operating characteristics that support more...

Getting to Zero database tracks comprehensive list of ZE projects to market

Timeline Stories / March 15, 2022

  NBI maintains the most comprehensive list of zero energy (ZE) commercial and multifamily buildings across North America. This interactive tool puts the Getting to Zero Buildings Database at your fingertips and allows you to generate customized maps, lists, and...

First Getting to Zero Gathering Held in Denver

Timeline Stories / March 15, 2022

  This premiere event brings together building industry leaders–designers, owners, operators, commercial real estate professionals, policymakers, manufacturers and others—driving for net zero energy use and carbon emissions in the built environment. The first Forum was launched at the 2013 NASEO...

2012 IECC includes 25-30% efficiency improvement

Timeline Stories / March 15, 2022

  NBI and a coalition of partners were able to achieve successful adoption of a 25-30% efficiency improvement in the 2012 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). The full update was based on Advanced Buildings Core Performance Guide,...

Sensitivity Analysis released, finds need to focus on operations and occupancy

Timeline Stories / March 15, 2022

  A significant percentage of building energy use is driven directly by operational and occupant habits, and in many cases, can have a larger impact on total energy use than many common variations in the design of the building itself....

Getting to 50, which promotes 50% energy savings in commercial buildings, becomes key initiative for NBI

Timeline Stories / March 15, 2022

    Hear from previous NBI President Emeritus, David Goldstein, on the impact of NBI’s Getting to 50 project and its evolution to Getting to Zero.

E Benchmark offers whole-building solutions for energy-efficient buildings

Timeline Stories / March 15, 2022

    NBI broke new ground with the development of a whole-building prescriptive guide to energy efficiency called E-Benchmark, a guide that saw five versions including the Core Performance Guide, which would form the basis of the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code...

Initial $6 Million PIER Award 1st of five consecutive PIER awards

Timeline Stories / March 15, 2022

  NBI has a long history of developing critical research under the California Energy Commision’s (CEC) energy efficiency research program. NBI primed one of the three first PIER (now called EPIC) projects – the $6 million Integrated Design: Productivity and...

Founders of NBI making energy efficient buildings the norm

Timeline Stories / March 15, 2022

  New Buildings Institute founder Doug Mahone was asked what prompted the origin of the organization:   “We started New Buildings Institute to try to get out of these institutional constraints [around energy code limitations] and figure out a way...