Decarbonizing Public Sector Buildings

This report is an update to a 2012 report entitled Greening the Public Sector, Maximizing Energy Efficiency. The original report provided recommendations and exemplars for how public sector buildings could achieve higher levels of energy efficiency. Some of the recommendations that remain relevant include reducing cost barriers for constructing energy-efficient buildings and schools, increasing workforce training and education, and establishing the goal of zero energy for all public buildings. However, while zero energy was considered a long-term goal for public sector buildings in 2012, it is now a proven performance target for many buildings today. States in the NEEP region have become leaders by building zero energy public buildings that demonstrate long-term cost and energy savings while supporting overall building decarbonization goals in the state. As a building strategy, decarbonization combines energy efficiency, strategic electrification, and renewable energy to help buildings reduce their carbon emissions and energy usage. This report will focus on updated recommendations to help states implement strategies to rapidly decarbonize public sector buildings and demonstrate how building decarbonization can drive market transformations in the overall building sector.