2050 Institute is a think tank, research, and policy team dedicated to building decarbonization.
2050 Institute partners with policy makers, utilities, and market actors to deliver building efficiency and decarbonization at scale in the Northwest and beyond. Optimizing this transition will require evolution of the 20th century energy efficiency utility model into a 21st century decarbonization model focused on targeted energy and emissions reductions over a finite timeframe. 2050 Institute uses a “2050” lens to develop frameworks, roadmaps, policies, programs, and evaluation strategies to decarbonize the building sector in 30 years.
DEEP Framework
To meet 2050 decarbonization goals we need a new framework that allows programs and policies to more seamlessly leverage efficiency alongside other key determinants of decarbonization, such as renewables, grid optimization, and electrification, within each building and across communities. We must shift from the current reductionist, measure-based efficiency framework designed to meet load growth to a holistic, whole building performance-based framework designed to optimize energy use and decarbonize the building stock by 2050. The broad mobilization implied by this 30-year timeframe will require:
Tight alignment between mandates and voluntary programs
Measurable and predictable behind-the-meter solutions
A planning and evaluation paradigm completely retooled around endpoints and outcomes
Recognizing the critical role of efficiency in this transition, 2050 Institute has developed an integrated Decarbonization and Energy Efficiency Policy Framework (DEEP Framework) to help states, public utility commissions, local governments, and utilities align around measured performance outcomes at every level in the decarbonization ecosystem.
DEEP Strategic Forums
2050 Institute is coordinating a series of Decarbonization and Energy Efficiency Policy (DEEP) Strategic Forums in early 2020. The forums will bring together a cross-section of utility, policy, and market actors in the Northwest to discuss strategies for transitioning the regional efficiency framework into a decarbonization framework by 2025. The forums will include an overview of paradigm-changing policy drivers such as state and municipal 2050 targets, performance standards, and zero-energy codes. Presentations and discussion topics may include:
The transformational power of zero and a finite planning horizon
Integrating the “efficiency as a resource” construct into a multi-dimensional, multi-fuel context
Implications for resource planning
Endpoint analytics (EUI and GHG)
Common energy baselines and targets for policies and programs
Multi-modal causality and the end of attribution
Cost-effectiveness models to assess optimized energy outcomes
Financing frameworks designed to deliver decarbonization at scale
Market transformation within a mandate-driven context
Performance-based utility regulation
Tracking outcomes over time
Five-year, critical path transition plan
Performance Baseline Platform
The clock is ticking and it’s time to get real about benchmarking and baseline data at the state level. California is the only state on the West Coast that has a fully-fledged benchmarking and disclosure policy. 2050 Institute has developed a conceptual model for a Northwest Performance Baseline Platform using state benchmarking data to set performance targets for policies, programs, and certifications. This approach will allow the verification of compliance with overall energy and GHG emission reduction goals over time at the building, city, utility, state, and regional level. A common performance baseline platform is mission critical infrastructure for transitioning from a measure-based framework to a whole-building, outcome-based framework required to steeply ramp down energy use and GHG emissions.
Performance Standards
Building efficiency and decarbonization should not be performance art; we will not meet aggressive decarbonization goals by delivering modeled performance without a significant and verifiable reduction in the energy use of all buildings. Buildings must actually reduce energy use and emissions. Performance standards in conjunction with market development and transformative financing frameworks may be one of most critical mechanisms for realizing “rush delivery” building decarbonization at scale. They are a key element of 2050 Institute’s DEEP Framework. We advocated for the recently passed Washington State performance standards for existing buildings (HB1257) and 2050 Institute is on the Strategic Advisory Group for a Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance project to develop Performance Standards in Seattle, Washington D.C., New York City, and Santa Monica.
Net-Zero Energy Code Roadmap Taskforce
2050 Institute is a member of Shift Zero, Washington’s zero carbon building alliance. 2050 Institute’s founder, Poppy Storm, is the chair of Shift Zero’s Net-Zero Energy Code Roadmap Taskforce. The Code Roadmap Taskforce facilitates dialog around key energy code issues such as the role of renewables, measuring carbon emissions, performance vs prescriptive path, outcome-based standards, electrification, and alignment with above-code programs and certifications. 2050 Institute contributed to, wrote, and/or advocated for the most high-impact residential and commercial code change proposals in the 2018 Washington State Energy Code, including a fixed baseline for the commercial performance path, a shift to carbon-based requirements for both the residential and commercial codes, deeper energy and emissions reductions, electric-ready appliance requirements, and passive house alternative compliance for residential buildings.
EUI/GHG Targets & Policy Analysis
States and local governments have set aggressive energy and GHG reduction goals in statutes and carbon action plans. Effective energy planning tools can help policy makers move from these aggregate-level goals to more granular targets and high-impact policies. This infrastructure and capacity building is needed to characterize building populations, fine tune targets, understand the relative value of various policy interventions, and track progress against targets by building type and sector. Poppy Storm led the design and development of a building EUI/GHG policy analysis tool for the City of Seattle while at a previous organization. The tool includes critical energy planning data such as average EUI and GHG intensities by building type and end-uses for major systems. The City has used the tool to assess the endpoint EUI and GHG intensities required to meet Seattle’s 2050 decarbonization goals and to analyze the impact of various policies, such as commercial building performance targets, by building type and across Seattle’s building stock.
Buildings must actually reduce energy use and emissions.
A whole system approach to transforming physical reality.
Poppy Storm, Founder and Director of Innovation for 2050 Institute, has assembled a well-curated team to help utilities, policy makers, public utility commissions, and other market actors adapt to the emerging decarbonization policy context and collectively deliver on 2050 building decarbonization goals.
2050 Institute Expertise:
Strategic advisory services
Policy frameworks, roadmapping, & design
Stakeholder outreach & strategic forums
Design thinking and systems thinking
Building decarbonization planning
Performance standards & programs
Energy code planning, development, & evaluation
Benchmarking & baselines
EUI and endpoint analytics
Whole system market transformation strategies
Policy & market research
Technical & market feasibility studies
Program & policy equity assessments
Transformative financing frameworks
Program design & evaluation
Technology roadmaps aligned with policy imperatives
