Piraeus Port Plaza 1 | LEED Gold | Photo: Yannis Kontos
Achieving energy optimization through electrification
USGBC supports beneficial electrification, specifically with deep energy efficiency and peak management, as a core strategy for building decarbonization.
Electrification: Refers to using technologies such as vehicles or heat pumps that operate with electricity instead of burning fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal. Electricity generated through clean resources such as wind and solar power is considered a decarbonization strategy.
Nexus with LEED
LEED supports building decarbonization in myriad ways, from rewarding reduced energy and water consumption to using lower-impact materials and reducing whole building life cycle effects. Electrification of heating, cooling, and other building systems can help achieve energy optimization when high-efficiency equipment is selected and appropriately sized in conjunction with a well-insulated envelope.
- With the Energy Optimization credit, LEED v4.1 adds the metric of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission improvement with the intent to push all projects toward decarbonization. This additional metric means that a project can max out the points only by having zero-carbon energy sources, which means electrification in certain grid regions.
- Smart electric equipment with demand management technologies, for example, can be used to reduce contribution to peak demands and associated peak carbon intensity of grid power under the grid harmonization credit.
Issue Brief #2: Beneficial Electrification
USGBC’s Issue Briefs explain current trends in buildings policy and technology with a focus on decarbonization, sustainability, and health. This brief explains what beneficial electrification is about, how it supports decarbonization, and key policies deploying this strategy.
Read the brief.