Cities, as major consumers of energy, must recognize the urgent need to transition away from natural gas. Once considered a ‘bridge fuel,’ it has now emerged as a significant driver of climate change. During the production of natural gas, the combustion process often emits the potent greenhouse gas methane. The transition away from natural gas is vital, not just for environmental well-being, but also for human health. The risks posed by the pollution from burning gas are substantial and largely unknown to the public.
Achieving sustainable buildings can be approached in two ways: constructing new, highly efficient buildings or enhancing existing structures. Whether you’re retrofitting or designing a new building, the initial step toward sustainability involves cataloging potential solutions. This starts the evaluation of various decarbonization options.
How California Cities Can Invest in Sustainable Building
Cities can implement various strategies to encourage the electrification of buildings. These include:
- Incentives for Developers: Financial incentives, such as tax breaks and grants, can be offered to developers and property owners who electrify their buildings.
- Infrastructure Investment: Cities can invest in upgrading grid infrastructure. This aims to streamline permitting processes, making it more accessible and cost-effective to connect buildings to the electric grid.
- Public Awareness: Educational campaigns and outreach programs can be implemented to inform the public about the benefits of electrifying buildings. This promotes a shared awareness of the positive effects on both the environment and human health. Continuous education, through programs like CEDA, ensures that professionals stay informed and updated on the latest advancements.
- Policy Development: Cities can enact policies that mandate new buildings to be electric-ready or all-electric, ensuring a sustainable trajectory for the city’s building stock.
CEDA MISSION
The California Energy Design Assistance (CEDA) program promotes the electrification and decarbonization of new building construction or major renovation. CEDA works in collaboration with project teams to reduce energy demand, consumption, and carbon emissions.
San Francisco: A City Investing in Sustainable Building
Many cities are already taking steps to encourage the electrification of buildings. San Francisco is one of them.
San Francisco has set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40% below 1990 levels by 2025. The city has several programs in place to encourage the electrification of buildings, including a tax break for developers who electrify their buildings and a grant program for property owners who make energy-efficient upgrades.
In 2020, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors took action to decrease greenhouse gas emissions in municipal buildings. With 99 percent of emissions from such buildings resulting from natural gas, this decision tangibly contributes to achieving the city’s emissions reduction objectives.
How Can CEDA Help?
The California Energy Design Assistance (CEDA) Program plays a crucial role in supporting the decarbonization of healthcare facilities, as illustrated in a recent case study. Understanding and mitigating the carbon footprint of healthcare facilities become pivotal steps in this transition, and CEDA’s expertise ensures effective strategies aligned with sustainability goals. Specifically, the program emphasizes the shift from natural gas to electricity for space and water heating, showcasing tangible results in reducing carbon emissions over time. Through detailed analysis and tailored solutions, CEDA contributes significantly to the overall decarbonization efforts in healthcare facilities.
Paving the Way for Sustainable Futures
Electrifying buildings stands as an important step in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and creating a more sustainable future. Cities play a pivotal role in fostering this transformation by offering incentives, facilitating cost-effective connections to the electric grid, educating the public, and crafting policies mandating new constructions to be electric-ready or all-electric. Through these deliberate measures, cities become architects of a healthier and more sustainable future. Collaborate with CEDA today; reach out to us at (855) 502-3914, and let’s build a greener tomorrow.
