A critical element in the decarbonization of homes is the embodied carbon produced in the manufacture and shipping of the building materials used in the construction of homes. Many times, particularly with highly energy-efficient homes, the embodied carbon in the home’s building products can equal the carbon produced by the energy consumed in the operation of the home. The current RESNET Carbon Index® only covers the carbon produced in energy used in a home. RESNET® has embarked on an effort to develop an ANSI candidate consensus standard to calculate the embodied carbon in residential building materials. This effort is being led by Chris Magwood of RMI and Brian Shanks of Beazer Homes. RESNET® will be working with a number of groups in developing the standard. These include the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, California Energy Commission, Leading Builders of America, and the International Code Council. Other organizations that will be involved include manufacturers, the HERS® industry, and builders. RESNET® has adopted the following principles to guide the development of a candidate standard • The RESNET® Embodied Carbon Standard will solely be focused on calculating and reporting embodied carbon in residential building materials and not be a new rating system. • The RESNET® Embodied Carbon Standard will be a national consensus standard using the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard development procedures. • The calculations of embodied carbon will be science-based and aligned with relevant ISO standards for life cycle assessment. • The standard will be a whole house analysis based upon the sum of embodied carbon of all products included in the standard. • The calculations will be designed for cost-effective incorporation into rating software and integrate with the existing workflow of energy raters. • The standard will fit the needs for and be of value to a builder for cost-effectively and credibly reporting scope 3 emissions for ESG reports. If you are interested in being notified of developments with this effort and receiving notices of opportunities to review and comment on drafts of the standard please contact info@resnet.us
