Carbon-Free Buildings
Powering Our Homes and Businesses Without Fossil Fuels
40%
of global energy GHG emissions
42%
increased asthma risk in homes with gas stoves
5%
rate that building emissions have risen since 2010
We Must
Construct only zero-carbon buildings
Retrofit 5% of buildings annually
Ensure electric and efficient appliances
RMI Will
Raise public awareness of health and climate costs of fossil fuels in buildings.
Design and advocate for carbon-free buildings policies in 20 key US states that represent 70% of direct gas use.
Retrofit large numbers of existing buildings to be all-electric, grid-interactive, and efficient.
Create buildings industry platforms to support dissemination of technology, supply chain development, and business-led interventions.
Leverage US successes to influence global supply chains and scale to China, India, Southeast Asia, and Africa.
RMI is ending reliance on fossil fuels to power and construct our built environment, bringing buildings to the forefront of a clean energy future.
Market Levers
Business Models
Scale retrofits to 5% of global buildings annually
Policy
Enact policies to support electrification and building standards
Technology
New less costly zero-carbon building technologies
Finance
Funnel investment to support retrofit uptake
What We Do
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Building Electrification
Driving the technical, policy, and regulatory solutions to accelerate the transition to all-electric buildings.
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REALIZE
REALIZE aims to catalyze the zero carbon residential revolution. Together, we’ll make better performing, safer, and more comfortable homes for all American families while spurring wealth and job creation in communities across the country, especially those that have been economically left behind.
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Embodied Carbon Initiative
Accelerating low-embodied-carbon construction practices by transforming policy, corporate investment, material manufacturing, and building design.
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Pathways to Zero
Reducing buildings’ climate impact through zero-carbon road mapping, grid interactive buildings, and low-embodied carbon materials.
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Zetro Energy
A disruptive and scalable approach to commercial building retrofits, driving deep financial and energy savings.
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Residential Energy+
Customer-focused solutions that empower and motivate US homeowners to invest in home energy performance improvements.
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Research & Analysis
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Article
Electric Rates Can Help or Hinder Heat Pump Progress
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Article
Heat Pump Leadership Goes Local
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Report
Electrify Your Community
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Article
Electrifying Communities Across the United States
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Report
From Wildfire to Wealth
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REALIZE-CA Design & Installation Guide
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Report
The Energy Code Safe Harbor Toolkit
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Embodied Carbon Investment Guide
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Article
Resilient, Carbon-Free Buildings Are Within Reach
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Report
Fighting Fire with Low-Carbon Buildings
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Report
Making Decarbonization Financing Work for Homeowners and Contractors
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Report
Refrigerant Reclamation
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Report
A Marketplace for Equitable Building Retrofits
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Article
The Business Case for Reducing Embodied Carbon: 9 Investments Commercial Real Estate Developers Can Make Today
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Article
Why State Climate Plans Prioritize Upgrades to Homes and Buildings
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Article
Embodied Carbon Regulations Are Coming. The Real Estate Industry Can Get Ahead with Improved Portfolio Carbon Accounting
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Article
Abundant, Affordable, Climate-friendly Homes: What Part 1 of the National Definition of a Zero Emissions Building Means for Housing
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Article
How New Federal Policy Raises the Bar for Energy-Efficient Housing
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Article
Bringing Gas Utility Planning into the 21st Century
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Article
Searing Heatwaves Underscore the Need for More Efficient Cooling
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Article
Heat Pumps Can Lower Energy Bills in Maryland Today
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Article
The Retrofit Playbook for Large Buildings
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Announcement
What’s Possible: A New Book on Community Driven Climate Action
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Report
Non-Pipeline Alternatives
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Article
Updated Home Energy Efficiency Standards Could Affect One in Four Homes