Jun 27 2014
Legrand, a leader in power, light and data solutions, has released a whitepaper entitled, “A Guide to the Building Performance Landscape,” reviewing the various initiatives that influence or impact the creation and evaluation of High Performance Buildings (HPBs) in the United States and offers insight into the future HPB landscape.
The whitepaper is the second in a series to explore the evolution and implications of the HPB movement on the building community.
According to Susan Rochford, Legrand’s Vice President of Energy Efficiency, Sustainability & Public Policy, the HPB landscape is evaluated and regulated through a variety of mechanisms that include building codes, standards and rating systems. Some mechanisms are created and enforced by the government, while others are formed by industry collaborations or from a consensus-based process, creating a complex landscape for building professionals.
“As expectations for building performance continually increase, and the diversity of mechanisms driving performance continue to expand, navigating the course has become more challenging,” Rochford said. “The goal of this whitepaper is to serve as a guide in advancing the understanding and dialogue surrounding the movement.”
The whitepaper analyzed 15 mechanisms, classified into five major types based on fundamental functions and the scope of performance issues addressed:
- Building Energy Disclosures: Require collection and reporting of annual energy usage.
- Building (Energy & Sustainability) Codes and Standards: Set minimum efficiency requirements to achieve targeted reductions in energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.
- Professional and Industry Sponsored Rating Programs: Promote best practices in building performance within a specific industry or professional community.
- Building Ratings Systems and Certifications: Provide prescriptive building performance criteria that require third-party verification.
- Building Design Guidance: Provides highly substantive guidance on building design but does not entail any form of certification or reporting.
The whitepaper explores three interconnected trends emerging from the mechanism analysis, highlighting a case study of Washington, D.C., where they converge. Further, Legrand makes several observations about the role HPBs will play in the future, including:
- Development of rigorous energy and sustainability building codes and standards
- Increased demands for building performance transparency, including environmental and health profiles of products and materials used within.
- Steady movement towards building life-cycle design reflecting higher aspirations, and new paradigms for the role of buildings in society.