The Cost of Building Decarbonization - New Buildings Institute

Published by Electrical Construction & Maintenance: New Buildings Institute’s findings put meat on the bones of a code the advocacy group crafted Building Decarbonization Code – New Buildings Institute for developers interested in designing and building structures with smaller or non-existent carbon footprints. Portland, Ore.-based NBI designed the code as a blueprint for layering a stronger focus on decarbonization onto the widely followed and recently updated 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and ASHRAE Standard 90.1.

Its report, Cost Study of the Building Decarbonization Code, which drills down into the full spectrum of costs involved in positioning a prototypical new house and new office building to be fossil fuels-free, concludes that biting the bullet and building fully electric would prove more cost effective than taking half measures, which, in turn, is superior to the worst option: building a structure that would require a cumbersome electric retrofit down the road.