Here and abroad, buildings represent a huge opportunity to significantly increase energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But to do this, we need to address the design, construction, operation, and deconstruction of the built environment.
Our Work
Rocky Mountain Institute's work in the built environment takes an integrated approach by seeking to increase energy efficiency while simultaneously addressing building and community design, comfort, and health. RMI's work on hundreds of successful buildings of different types in different climates dispels the notion that increasing energy efficiency or taking steps to reduce emissions negatively affects economics, comfort, or aesthetics.
We believe energy efficiency is the key to reducing fossil fuel use in the built environment. RMI's RetroFit initiative is taking an aggressive and strategic approach to improving the efficiency of the U.S. commercial building stock.
Visit our portfolio to see case studies on these projects and learn more about RMI's daylighting and design analysis and research and consulting strategies, read about new ground breaking work on commercial building retrofits, and more.
Services
RMI provides a variety of services related to energy efficient design and analysis for new or existing buildings, ranging from predicted building energy performance (modeling) and specific design recommendations, to life-cycle cost analyses and performance verification.
To optimize building performance, RMI pursue the “right steps in the right order.” This approach allows for the maximum cost-effective energy reduction:
- Define Needs: Define the need/service required first, not the equipment or capacity needed to provide it;
- Reduce Loads: Reduce loads on mechanical systems through passive design measures;
- Appropriate Technology: Select the most appropriate system type/s and design for efficiency;
- Efficient Technology: Use the most efficient equipment available (most people start here!);
- Life Cycle Cost Analysis: Incorporate life cycle analysis to inform decision-making process
- Optimize Operation: Incorporate controls and demand response measures;
- Seek Synergies: Assess waste streams and other resource areas (i.e. water) for possible use/reuse; and then
- Green Power: Incorporate renewable energy technologies.
Integrated Design
Some owners reduce operating costs by incrementally “greening” their buildings. Incremental measures may include high-performance windows, daylighting, energy efficient electric lighting, appliances, and/or mechanical design, and control systems. While this approach can be cost-effective, there is a better way: integrated design. The integrated design process looks at each building component’s impact—individually and collectively—and optimizes the overall building performance.
Cooling the Warming
At RMI, we are focused on helping design and construct high-performance buildings that use less fossil-fuel-based energy and minimize waste production and water consumption. Cooling the warming sets an economically viable, accelerated path for changing the current paradigm that governs the built environment while radically reducing not only GHGs but also atmospheric pollution. Our investment in cooling the warming now can and will alter the future, so that the built environment in 20 years is dramatically different from the built environment today.
Campuses and Communities
A pioneer in restorative development, Rocky Mountain Institute is working with communities and campuses, finding practical solutions through integrated design, whole-systems thinking, green design and natural capitalism—ways to strengthen these entities and build economic value while protecting and restoring the environment.
Speaking Engagements
RMI's built environment experts frequently speak at conferences, corporate events, and industry meetings on a range of topics including sustainable design, green building rating systems, corporate sustainability, the business case for green building, and technical analysis tools. Request a Speaker for your event.
Cont
act us to inquire about using RMI’s built environment services for your next project or to speak to an expert about our work.