Working Session: Built Environment—Enhancing Building Performance for People and the Environment (Option 1 of 4)

Humanity’s need for comfortable indoor surroundings has led to buildings that provide us heat or cooling and light on demand regardless of the time of day, local climate or building design. These create massive energy and emissions demands that could be drastically reduced with better technology and better design. Better design is a long term approach with more limited applicability to the existing building stock.  In the near term, there are a variety of better technologies that can more appropriately respond to buildings’ local environments and their occupants’ needs. Grouping these technologies into the building envelope, building systems and building appliances allows for estimates of the applicability and potential of each solution, as well as their interactions with other technologies. With roughly 40% of global emissions associated with buildings, rapid adoption of both better technology and better design are needed to provide human comfort for a drawdown world.