Building Performance Standards

To encourage building decarbonization, local and state governments have begun to set their own climate goals aimed at lowering energy consumption and/or greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. One regulatory solution being used is the Building Performance Standard (BPS). Due to the outsized impact of laboratories on carbon emissions, labs are typically included in BPS regulations; however, the ordinances don’t usually take into account the wide diversity of existing lab facilities and may not account for the challenges of safely reducing energy intensity and emissions in labs. This offers an opportunity to both educate policymakers and assist labs in areas with BPS requirements to reduce their carbon footprint.

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In 2022, I2SL examined the current landscape of BPSs and what they mean for laboratory buildings in each jurisdiction. The BPS summary review, along with an accompanying summary table, will equip laboratory owners to navigate the BPS of their jurisdiction and help prepare policymakers and laboratory owners to engage lab stakeholders in BPS creation and compliance.