This is another example of the ongoing shift from an engineering focus on saving energy to saving carbon. In order to do this properly, system engineering needs to be emphasized to an even greater extent using multi-disciplinary optimization (MDO).
“The goal of the annual LowDown Showdown design challenge is to model buildings that get as close to zero energy as possible. This year’s winning team had a slightly different focus: minimize its building’s global warming impact.”
“Addressed what it calls “the three main culprits of greenhouse gas emissions,” operational energy, embodied carbon and refrigerant impact, in its winning project in this year’s competition. “
Read more on this link.