by Shane Henson — August 19, 2011—Efforts to establish international standards for measuring energy use in buildings have received a boost, after the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) decided to consider an innovative tool developed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to gauge energy consumption and CO2 emissions in offices and homes across the world.
The Common Carbon Metric (CCM)—developed by UNEP’s Sustainable Buildings and Climate Initiative—could form the basis for a new international standard for measuring the environmental performance of existing buildings.
The CCM is specifically designed to measure energy use when a building is operational. First launched during the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in 2009, UNEP’s Common Carbon Metric measures both energy use and greenhouse gas emissions equivalent in buildings per meter squared or per occupant over the course of one year. It contains two approaches: a “top-down” model, which takes measurements from a collection of buildings or a “bottom-up” model, which is applied to an individual building.
The CCM is intended for worldwide use, including developing countries, where limitations on data collection and infrastructure may not support current methods for measuring energy use and emission levels during the entire life cycle of a building. The proposal to use CCM as the basis for new international standards for buildings will be put on the agenda of ISO members within a year. If appropriate, new draft international standards will then be prepared on energy consumption and CO2 emissions which, when finalized, could be adopted within three years.
The CCM has the potential to positively impact companies across the world that choose to use the standard(s) developed through it, and will subsequently allow facilities managers working for those companies to help boost their employers’ bottom line while promoting sustainability through reduced energy use and emissions.
