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
An Opportunity to Make Home Retrofits More Affordable
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Report
Buy Clean and Beyond
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Article
Clean Energy 101: Passive Daytime Radiative Cooling (Really Cool Roofs)
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Article
A Blueprint to Decarbonize Affordable Housing
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Policy Brief
The Need for US Indoor Air Quality Guidelines
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Policy Brief
A Primer on Embodied Carbon in Climate Disclosure
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Article
Improving the Data and Disclosure of the Environmental Impact of Building Materials
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Report
Driving Action on Embodied Carbon in Buildings
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News
RMI and USGBC Release Report to Cut Embodied Carbon in Buildings
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Article
What a 20 million heat pump commitment means for the US
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Report
State-Level Building Electrification Factsheets
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Article
It’s the IRA’s First Birthday. Here Are Five Areas Where Progress Is Piling Up.
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Article
How to Upgrade and Electrify Millions of US Homes and Buildings
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Article
Pathways to Equity and Savings for Low-Income Households
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Article
How Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) Can Drive Solar Development
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Report
Energy Service Agreements for Deep Efficiency and Electrification Retrofits of Affordable Multifamily Housing in California
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Article
Now Is the Time to Go All In on Heat Pumps
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Report
Cost-Effective Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings
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Report
Tariffed On-Bill to Finance Energy Efficiency and Decarbonization Retrofits for Multifamily Buildings in California
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Article
Four Reasons Why K-12 Schools Are Warming Up to Heat Pumps
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Article
The Science behind Gas Stoves
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Article
When Heat Becomes Deadly: The Importance of Next-Generation Air Conditioning
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Report
Setting Buy Clean Standards to Green US Steel
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Article
Rethinking the Status Quo of Property Insurance
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Article
Supporting Local Governments as Climate Change Threatens Their Communities