RESNET Programs Engagement Specialist Michael Matthews contributed to the recent Green Builder Media article, Carbon Offsets Are Tomorrow’s Imperative. The concept of carbon tracking in the built environment started being discussed in the 1990s, and now, nearly four decades later, there are sophisticated tools to do the work. The industry started by understanding operational carbon, then moved into the concept of embodied carbon, and now we can do both. Organizations are slowly approaching these market changes with motivations to either meet future regulations or to take advantage of the business opportunity. RESNET’s HERS Carbon Index® calculates greenhouse gas emissions in units of CO2e or equivalent CO2 emissions, including non-carbon greenhouse gases such as methane. “Reports on emission reductions commonly use the word carbon when they really mean greenhouse gas,” says Michael Matthews, programs engagement specialist at RESNET. “Up until now, almost all carbon emission calculations have been based on annual average emissions. This sends the wrong signal to households and builders who want to minimize emissions, because the effect on emissions of a given house depends as much on the time of energy consumption as the amount.” This standard is unique in its ability to compare emission savings from different design and fuel choice options for buildings for the consumer and builder. Read the full article here.
