Decarbonization Planning Guide

Develop Your Decarbonization Plan


What Components are Needed to Decarbonize

Crafting a holistic decarbonization plan


For long-term success, engaging professional services to support your plan is critical, especially while considering several elements at once. To start, your plan should assess existing building conditions and establish goals for your building. Decarbonization can take place all at once, in a partial fashion, or over time. While designing your plan, you should understand what is necessary to decarbonize in a cost-effective way. 


Generally, components of a decarbonization plan require specific categories. These categories should be customized and rearranged for each building since each building is unique. The categories are listed below, in order, for a comprehensive approach.

Efficiency measures 

Make sure your building is running properly. Install efficiency measures with short payback periods and tune equipment that is not working correctly. 

Load reductions 

Consider reducing energy loads and recover wasted heat so your building contains functions that enable electrification, such as smaller systems, increased comfort, and less strain on infrastructure.

Enabling activities and infrastructure readiness 

Before replacing onsite combustion equipment with electrification options, review different types of infrastructure projects and studies to prepare your building.

Electrification of combustion systems 

Research electrifying combustion systems for your building. Usually, heat pumps can meet building needs—however, the earlier steps should come first to reduce upfront and operation costs. 

Renewable energy and storage 

Consider renewable energy and battery storage for your electrified building. Typically, these systems provide long-term cost savings if you plan ahead with your new equipment.

The Resource Efficient Decarbonization Guide summarizes many of these elements. 


The figure below shows different decarbonization factors to consider for your building.

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