Minnesota homes and businesses will turn up the heat this weekend as arctic air settles in.
A new statewide coalition of builders and designers wants future structures not as overly reliant on energy, with a renewed push for sustainable construction. High‑performance and low‑emissions are key goals laid out by the recently launched Minnesota Efficient Builders Coalition.
The group Fresh Energy is bringing together regional leaders in construction, architecture and other industry partners to advance best practices and engage on building codes. Policies responsive to climate change are possible, too.
Brian Wessels, founder of the firm Intent Built and is a coalition co-chair, said it's time for a conversation "reset."
"Building with purpose is one of the key points that I like to focus on as we start to get momentum - [the question] is just why are we building what we're building and what is the impact?" he explained.
Two decades ago, "LEED" certifications fueled a global movement for sustainable buildings, but Wessels said it lost momentum as “best practices” became “standard practices” around the industry. He thinks new technologies and a fresh mindset can create a similar experience with efficient building techniques that counteract cost concerns.
The coalition reported in 2022, emissions from Minnesota residential structures were up 38% over 2005 levels and were up 48 percent for commercial properties.
Elizabeth Turner, Fellow coalition co-chair and founder of the climate-change minded architectural firm Precipitate, said the emergence of carbon-free mechanical sources like heat pumps help. But when designing a home or office building, smart planning makes a difference, too.
"For the windows and doors, we make sure that they're the right sizes and [in] locations to, kind of, optimize how we use the sun," she said. "So, letting in the free heat from the sun when we want it, and then blocking it when it's gonna lead to overheating, and we don't want that."
Both coalition board members say it's all about creating the ideal structural "envelope" that also factors in the right amount of air flow. They say that benefits human health, too. Turner adds these investments can be a plus for taxpayers, if long-term energy costs are reduced for public housing developments.
