Have you ever given a thought to the carbon footprint produced within the house you reside in or the buildings that are your workplace?
It is pretty evident that in our fight against climate change, one of the major challenges we come across is the exhaustion of fossil fuels. Besides being non-renewable, these fossil fuels also lead to pollution and greenhouse gas emissions when extracted and used.
Moreover, our buildings are one of the primary places where these fossil fuels are majorly used. For instance, natural gas and oil are used as a source of heat energy – you might have a water heater or a gas stove. Burning of these fossil fuels within a closed periphery only impacts the environment but can also prove to be dangerous for your health. This is where the concept of building decarbonization comes into play. Building decarbonization is important to mitigate the severe impact of climate change and to simultaneously create a more sustainably built environment.
The term “decarbonization” has gone from being a niche concept known by wonkish sustainability experts to not being one of the top-of-mind concepts, especially amongst real estate executives. Let’s us delve deep into learning the significance of building decarbonization. So, without further ado, let’s begin.
What is Building Decarbonization?
Before jumping right onto the advantages, let’s first learn what building decarbonization is.
Building decarbonization basically refers to the reduction of carbon emissions that are associated with the operation and use of buildings. We can use various measures to attain this, including using renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency, and implementing low-carbon materials for construction purposes.
The carbon emissions from buildings are so large that it is responsible for a significant portion of greenhouse gas emissions globally. Therefore, by reducing these carbon emissions, we can reduce the overall carbon footprint along with mitigating the impact of climate change.
Benefits of Building Decarbonization
Let’s look at some of the many benefits that building decarbonization brings with it:
- Mitigates Climate Change
The first and most significant benefit of building decarbonization is climate action. Burning fossil fuels to receive heating, cooling, hot water, etc., in buildings is dangerous for the residents as well as the entire planet. However, eliminating it through building decarbonization helps meet emission reduction goals.
- Utility Costs
Due to limited presence and high demand, the price of natural gases is projected to increase substantially over the next few years. While the cost of electricity is also increasing, it will remain cheaper than gas. Therefore, it is advisable to switch to an all-electric home, which will not only reduce pollution but save you a significant amount of money.
- Affordable Housing
Energy efficiency, smart grid-enabled programs, renewable energy, and electrification are the four pillars of the concept of building decarbonization. These methods can keep your building well-maintained and eventually reduces the overall operating costs for the coming years. In fact, they also are the strategies to make your home high-performing and resilient against climate change as well as rising energy costs.
- Improved Indoor Quality
Appliances like furnaces, stoves, water heaters, and boilers that directly contribute to burning fossil fuels in your home create harmful emissions like carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and carbon monoxide. These poisonous pollutants can further increase the risk of aggravated respiratory systems, asthma, and cardiovascular effects, especially in the elderly and children.
Consequently, replacing these appliances with electrical ones removes the risk of such pollutants entering your home. This eventually improves the air quality of your home and creates a healthy home environment.
Parting Thoughts
Now that we have reached the end, we hope that you must have understood the significance of building decarbonization. This building decarbonization journey to reducing the carbon footprint. So, to successfully fight the impact of climate change and live in a cleaner and greener environment, it is important to transition to carbon-free practices.
