Decarbonizing the U.S. Building Sector by 2050

This online engineering PDH course provides an in-depth exploration of the strategies, technologies, and policies driving the decarbonization of building thermal systems, as outlined in the National Blueprint for Decarbonizing the U.S. Buildings Sector by 2050.

With buildings accounting for over one-third of total U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, this course emphasizes practical approaches to reduce emissions, enhance energy efficiency, and transition to clean energy sources. It provides a comprehensive, systems-based approach to achieving significant emissions reductions while ensuring affordability, resilience, and equity in the built environment.

This course explores pathways to achieve a 90% reduction in building-related emissions by 2050, focusing on energy efficiency, electrification, demand flexibility, and low-carbon materials. It includes heat pump technology for space and water heating, building envelope upgrades to reduce thermal loads, load reduction strategies for optimizing energy consumption, grid-interactive buildings, and demand response. It also covers the integration of on-site renewable energy and battery storage, advanced control systems, energy recovery techniques, and refrigerants with low global warming potential, ensuring optimized system performance and long-term sustainability. Special attention is given to lifecycle cost analysis, phased retrofitting strategies, and relevant policy frameworks.

This 6 PDH online course is applicable to engineers, energy managers, as well as other technical professionals aiming to lead decarbonization efforts in both new and existing buildings.