Green Building

This functional plan highlights several actions to encourage energy efficiency in existing buildings and net zero energy new construction.  

To promote energy efficiency for existing buildings the functional plan recommends implementing a performance-based retrofit program (1.1.1), requiring energy management plans (1.1.2), and mandating building energy upgrades at the time of permitting and/or sale (1.1.3).  

To encourage net zero construction the functional plan recommends creating net zero construction targets (2.1), providing incentives such as floor area ratio (FAR) bonuses or height relaxation (2.2), incrementally increasing requirements through the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance (2.3), introducing energy efficiency targets for new and existing municipal buildings (2.4), and removing barriers to increasing insulation in residential buildings (2.5). 

The functional plan also includes a Building Energy Primer which addresses population trends, building energy use, and carbon emissions.