This past July an article Sheena wrote was published in the “In Touch” magazine by the REIC (Real Estate Institue of Canada) on “Decarbonizing the Operation of a Building” (pdf).  The article is reproduced completely below.

Decarbonizing the Operation of a Building 

by Sheena Sharp

We have all heard about the need to stop climate change and adapt to the changes that we have observed, which are likely irreversible. We have seen images of vast stretches of continents turning to deserts, species dying out, crops failing, displacement of vulnerable populations, and widespread tragedy. What most of us have not found is a handle on what we can do about it, practically and right now.
The intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) collects research on climate change from around the world, and filters it through a consensus process to determine strategies for nations to consider. Current recommendations from the IPCC suggest that we aim to limit the global rise in temperature to 1.5 degrees C. This may be considered an arbitrary number, but when we look at the predicted consequences that might occur above 1.5 degrees C, we see the costs to nations will be immense, and at least equal to what it would take to decarbonize the economy. Global temperature rise currently sits just under 1 degree C, so we have to move quickly.
In order to achieve this goal, the IPCC says that carbon emissions must peak this year, 2016, and then need to steadily decline to an 80% reduction by 2050. Ontario and Quebec have both adopted these targets in hopes of doing their part to stabilize climate change. But consider that over 25 years, between the baseline year 1990 and 2015, Ontario has reduced its emissions by only 6%. This is good progress, but means that in the next 35 years Ontario needs to reduce emissions by another 74%. The one thing that is certain is that we need to change our approach if we are to meet these goals.
Ralph Torrie, a physicist who has been analyzing energy models for Ontario for 30 years, has noted that no single energy-user-type can make sufficient changes to meet Ontario’s goals alone – not personal transport, nor buildings, nor industry. In every scenario Torrie has evaluated, buildings must effectively disappear from the demand for energy.
Why buildings? Buildings, unlike planes, can be run entirely on electricity, with technology that is already commercially available and relatively inexpensive. The electrical grid can be made carbon free with nuclear plants, although these are not without problems or expense. This is where conservation comes in – all of our buildings could run on less energy, and on green energy, to meet carbon reduction targets and avoid the need for more nuclear power.
There are 3 steps to decarbonizing the operation of a building:
1. Upgrade the entire building envelope including walls, windows, roofs, below-grade walls and basement floors. This reduces the average energy performance by two thirds, thus reducing the heating load. In the same process, cladding can
be upgraded to meet increased wind loads, aiding in adapting to climate change we are already experiencing.
2. Install smaller and more efficient electric heating, cooling, lighting, and ventilation systems. Depending on the building’s occupancy type, this may include geo-exchange systems, displacement ventilation, LED lights, and on-demand lighting and ventilation.
3. Install solar panels to produce energy on site and reduce loads on the existing power grid.
What we in the architectural community have found is that building owners are reluctant to make improvements that no one can easily see. It is often easier to “sell” an energy retrofit when co-benefits are considered, such as:
• Envelope retrofits can be used to update the appearance of a building, adding value.
• As energy disclosure extends to more building types, en ergy efficiency will have more value.
• Low-energy buildings have less drafts, more stable humidi ty, and are more evenly heated, resulting in better thermal comfort.
• Buildings with energy-efficient windows admit less street noise, increasing the ability to concentrate, or sleep.
• Low-energy buildings can hold heat in for days during power outages, meaning they require less back-up power from generators, if required, and prevent pipes from freez ing and potentially bursting.
The financial cost of decarbonizing buildings will be significant, but cheaper than dealing with floods, cladding failures, blackouts, and unforeseen consequences. The elephant in the room is that most people who are in positions of authority right now will not live to see 2050, and the beginning of the worst effects of climate change, so it does not really affect them. If we are doing this, we are doing it for future generations.