(B08) Decarbonization of Existing Commercial Buildings in Pursuit of Net Zero Carbon Climate Goals

As the US federal and many foreign governments have embraced new goals towards carbon neutrality by 2050 and intensified policy action, state and local governments that previously stood out with that exact target are now accelerating their timelines. Late 2021, San Francisco launched its new Climate Action Plan, committing to sweeping decarbonization efforts in pursuit of reaching carbon neutrality no later than 2040. As the State’s most densely populated county, 44% of San Francisco’s carbon emissions stem from buildings, of which 81% are linked to natural gas consumption in buildings. Since San Francisco announced a natural gas ban for nearly all new construction in 2020, many cities across the country have followed suit.
However, San Francisco reaches further than nearly any other city in its commitment to eliminate natural gas consumption from all commercial buildings no later than 2035, sending a key signal that owners and tenants of existing buildings play a pivotal role in complete decarbonization of the built environment. Commercial property owners and tenants are left asking how to meet new regulations in an efficient and cost effective way. In San Francisco, commercial building owners and operators must periodically review the building’s energy performance and, depending on the building’s size, articulate steps towards building decarbonization.
This session will present two cases of commercial building decarbonization at different scales. SPUR, a San Francisco-based nonprofit public policy organization with a strong commitment to urban sustainability, worked together with the Danish Energy Agency and the San Francisco Department of the Environment to obtain an energy audit at the SPUR Urban Center. Located on 654 Mission St, San Francisco, and measuring 14,500 sqft., it was built in 2009 as a LEED Silver certified redevelopment which reused or recycled 95% of the content of the previous structure. SPUR’s presentation will reflect on how building management and occupants can identify low-cost operational and structural energy savings, and determine the optimal time of replacement of gas-powered equipment by electric alternatives.
The second case zooms in on a larger redevelopment of Levi’s Plaza. The owner, Jamestown LP, has committed to achieving net zero carbon at the campus along the Embarcadero, which was originally built in 1981 and consists of 9 buildings for a total area of 930,000 sqft., by 2025. Jamestown’s presentation will illustrate how large commercial property owners can be among the frontrunners in full building decarbonization, and what challenges and benefits should be considered in rapid electrification of all natural-gas powered equipment.