Researchers have developed a model for cutting CO2 emissions from buildings by 80 per cent by 2050 in order to help fight climate change.

Energy use in buildings such as heating, cooling and lighting, is responsible for over one-third of all CO2 emissions in the USA.

The new model will require the installation of highly energy-efficient building technologies, new operational approaches, and electrification of building systems that consume fossil fuels directly.

“Buildings are a substantial lever to pull in trying to reduce total national CO2 emissions since they are responsible for 36 per cent of all energy-related emissions in the US,” said Jared Langevin, a research scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and lead author of the study.

“Because the buildings sector uses energy in a multitude of ways and is responsible for such a large share of electricity demand, buildings can help accelerate the cost-effective integration of clean electricity sources on top of contributing direct emissions reductions through reduced energy use.”

The researchers considered three types of efficiency measures, technologies with higher energy performance than typical alternatives, such as dynamic windows and air sealing of walls, sensing and control strategies that improve the efficiency of building operations, and conversion of fuel-fired heating and water heating equipment to comparable systems that can run on electricity.

They also considered how parallel incorporation of renewable energy sources into the electric grid would shift emissions reduction estimates from each building efficiency measure and the buildings sector as a whole.

“While building CO2 emissions are quite sensitive to the greenhouse gas intensity of the electricity supply, measures that improve the efficiency of energy demand from buildings need to be part of the solution,” Langevin said.

“Getting close to the 80 per cent emissions reduction target requires concurrent reductions in building energy demand, electrification of this demand, and substantial penetration of renewable sources of electricity – nearly half of annual electricity generation by 2050.

“Moreover, buildings can support the cost-effective integration of variable renewable sources by offering flexibility in their operational patterns in response to electric grid needs.”

The team proposed the installation of energy-saving retrofits and upgrades to walls, windows, roofs and insulation. The introduction of smart software could also be used to optimise when, where, and to what degree energy-intensive building heating, cooling, lighting and ventilation services should be provided.

The researchers stressed that policymakers will need to take action for these measures to be broadly rolled out.

“Regulations and incentives that support the sale of more efficient, less carbon-intensive technology options, early-stage research and development that drives breakthroughs in technology performance, aggressive marketing of those technologies once developed, training for local contractors charged with technology installation, and consumer willingness to consider purchasing newer options on the market are all needed to achieve the 80 per cent emissions reduction goal by 2050,” Langevin said.

“We look forward to periodically revisiting this analysis to reassess where emissions from the buildings sector stand relative to the 2050 target, under both business-as-usual and more optimistic scenarios of efficient technology adoption and renewable electricity supply.”