Energy

Breaking Down the New DOE Definition of Zero Emissions Buildings

Last month, June 2024, the US Department of Energy (DOE) published the first ‘US National Definition of Zero Emissions Buildings’ to a tempered reaction from many in the buildings, energy, and environmental communities. After months of deliberation, the DOE’s somewhat simplistic definition reads: “A building is regarded as ‘zero emissions’ if it is highly energy efficient, does not emit greenhouse gasses directly from energy use, and is powered by clean energy.” On the surface, this definition may seem positive, but you don’t have to dig very deep to realize the problem it creates. The role of a definition is, in part, to reduce subjectivity, so the use of the term “highly efficient” seems dangerously open to interpretation. Definitions should also incorporate all aspects of a topic, so the omission of all non-operational energy emissions feels suspiciously limited. While the choice not to define clean energy by on/off-site resources appears to lack the ambition required to […]

Stay ahead of the pack

with the latest independent smart building research and thought leadership.

Have an account? Login

Subscribe Now from just $400 per year per user for Access to Quality Independent Smart Building Research & Analysis!

What Exactly Do you Get?

  • Access to Website Articles and Notes. Unlimited Access to the Library of over 2000 Articles Spanning 10 Years.
  • 10% discount on ALL Memoori Research reports for Subscribers!
  • Industry-leading Analysis Every Week, Direct to your Inbox.
  • AND Cancel at any time
Subscribe Now

Most Popular Articles

Complimentary Article video surveillance market research 2025
Security

Video Surveillance Market 2025: Ongoing Shift towards Software Drives Growth

The video surveillance industry is undergoing its most significant transformation since the shift from analog to digital. What was once primarily a reactive security tool, cameras recording footage for post-incident review, is evolving into a proactive intelligence infrastructure. The traditional model of video surveillance centered on cameras, on-premise storage and software. That era is coming […]

Subscribe to the Newsletter & get all our Articles & Research Delivered Straight to your Inbox.