The construction industry is an enormous polluter, yet architects have the expertise, power, and creativity to greatly reduce the pollution generated in the built environment and to move the industry to the forefront of climate-change solutions. The AIA has called on its membership to achieve a 50-percent reduction by 2010 in carbon emissions from the construction and operation of new and renovated buildings, with the long-term goal of carbon-neutral buildings by 2030.

In recognition of architects’ increasing influence on sustainability efforts and the growing movement to incorporate environmental standards into everyday life, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently expanded its Energy Star offerings to include design for commercial buildings. Architecture firms can now distinguish buildings that rank in the nation’s top 25 percent in energy efficiency as “Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR.”

In this podcast, two energy-efficiency experts discuss how the new energy-performance targets and the EPA’s Energy Star program can help designers achieve their aggressive goals and close the gap between design and performance requirements. In addition, it’s vital to identify ways to close the gap between energy estimates and a building’s actual operation. With the new quantifiable, measurable tools, architects are starting to define benchmarks for success in the field.

For more information, visit the EPA’s Energy Star Program Web site or the AIA’s Green Challenge Web site.