CoreNet issues phase one of road-map to zero energy buildings

CoreNet Global and the Rocky Mountain Institute have issued new guidance that lays out a framework for corporations to better manage their energy usage. According to Next Generation Energy Management, corporations have made progress in energy management and performance since 2007 when CoreNet Global and RMI first collaborated on this topic. Over two-thirds of corporations now have a sustainability agenda and staff as well as energy management plans, and nearly half have dedicated energy managers, a position that was only just emerging in 2007. However, research indicates that in many cases, these efforts have plateaued, so the new report is designed as Phase One of a road map toward the goal of net-zero buildings, in which buildings use the same or less energy than they generate through the use of renewables such as solar and wind power.

Explained Michael Bendewald, Senior Associate at Rocky Mountain Institute, (a non-profit dedicated to transforming global energy use): “Having released a guide (https://www.rmi.org/retrofit_depot_deepretrofitvalue) in January for corporate real estate professionals to calculate and present the value of energy efficiency, we now intend to develop a roadmap to assist corporations in achieving the highest goals practical for building energy performance,”

The report establishes nine key drivers that enable and necessitate next generation energy management:

• Reductions in energy costs, such as natural gas
• Sustainability measurement
• Stakeholder demand for sustainability
• Availability of capital
• Risk mitigation and management
• Workplace transformation
• Smart building technology
• Healthy buildings
• Electricity Grid Evolution

“During the next year, CoreNet Global and Rocky Mountain Institute will engage with the corporate real estate community to further investigate these key drivers,” said Angela Cain, CEO of CoreNet Global.

“We believe that with a unified voice, CoreNet Global and RMI are well-positioned to have a significant impact on the ways that corporations think about energy usage. Energy management is not just a sustainable business practice, it is fiscally advantageous.”

The report is available for download here.