Constructing a Green Campus with the Living Building Challenge

As the Carbon Mitigation Task Force determines strategies to create a decarbonized and 100% renewable campus, the task of decreasing the impact of buildings on campus energy use is paramount in this effort. A majority of the energy on campus is used to heat, cool, and support buildings. To reduce building energy use, new construction projects and major renovations are required to achieve a Silver rating or higher on the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standard. Despite decreases in campus emissions over the last decade, the University is still not on track for carbon neutrality by 2030.

The magnitude of the challenge necessitates re-envisioning the campus infrastructure development process. Mandating LEED Silver has not resulted in the emissions reductions needed to achieve carbon neutrality. A new Green Building Guideline is needed to bring UMass to a net-zero carbon future. The Living Building Challenge (LBC), which is a design philosophy and building criteria with an emphasis on achieving net-positive energy buildings, can become that Green Building Guideline for UMass. The energy strategy of the LBC is simple: minimize the energy needs of a building, then meet the remaining need with renewable energy.

Expanding campus with Living Buildings will result in no increase in annual carbon emissions and renovating the existing building stock will decrease campus emissions towards neutrality. Projects will create opportunities for students and faculty to offer their own expertise on zero energy buildings, furthering the research and educational mission of the campus. By implementing the Living Building Challenge for all future buildings and renovations, UMass can achieve carbon neutrality through net-zero energy buildings.