Hollywood Palms apartments in City Heights

Measure

BE. Decarbonization of the Built Environment /

BE-1.1. Decarbonize Existing Buildings

2030 Target

Phase out 45% of natural gas usage from existing buildings

2035 Target

Phase out 90% of natural gas usage from existing buildings

2030 GHG Reduction

(MT CO2e) 931,661

2035 GHG Reduction

(MT CO2e) 1,915,290

Community benefits & burdens

Low

Community empowerment

Medium

Addresses historical disparity

Low

Stakeholder acceptability

Medium

Technical feasibility

High

Ease of implementation

High

Financial viability

High

Mainstreaming potential

High

Image: City Heights Community Development Affordable Housing

Core Benefits

Core benefits of this measure are Jobs & Economy, Resiliency, Air Quality, and Public Health

Introduction

Since the effort to decarbonize existing buildings touches all building types, it requires a thoughtful policy-making process and far-reaching community engagement. Cities and communities across the country have begun brainstorming and piloting an array of strategies to remove fossil fuels from existing buildings. This includes initiating pilot programs, developing longterm regulatory roadmaps and seeking funding to perform building retrofits without passing down costs to property owners and renters.

For existing buildings, programs that support zero emissions technologies such as energy retrofits, new high-efficiency electrical appliance and heating systems should be paired with building efficiency policies and financing solutions for residents. Some of these new high efficiency electric appliances include air-source, water-source, or ground-source heat pumps to provide buildings with space heating, cooling, and water heating, as well as induction cooktops and electric ovens for cooking. These opportunities can be paired with complementary solutions for commercial and industrial uses such as district energy systems, water reuse policies, and emerging technologies in the future. The City is compiling a comprehensive existing building inventory that will incorporate indicators necessary to develop an effective, locally appropriate approach to decarbonization in San Diego.

How to explore the Actions section

Some actions are part of a sequence: completing one action may be necessary for the success of another, or may make another action easier to complete. The >> symbol on an action card indicates that it is part of a sequence. Hover over the >> symbol to see the full sequence of actions.

The color bar at the top of each action provides information about the implementation timeline.

Gray = either the implementation timeline is not yet available, or the action is continuous (there is no completion date)
Green = the action is proceeding on time; the color gets darker as the action nears completion
Yellow = the action is delayed or late

Click on an action to learn more about it.

Measuring Success

The indicator below shows the annual amount of natural gas used in the City of San Diego by residential, commercial, and industrial customers. Successful implementation of this measure should reduce this amount.

BE-1.1. Decarbonize Existing Buildings

2030 Target

2035 Target

2030 GHG Reduction

2035 GHG Reduction

Community benefits & burdens

Community empowerment

Addresses historical disparity

Stakeholder acceptability

Technical feasibility

Ease of implementation

Financial viability

Mainstreaming potential

Core Benefits

Introduction

How to explore the Actions section

Measuring Success

Indicators

Decarbonization - Natural Gas Consumption Citywide (SDG&E sales)

Core Benefits

Introduction

How to explore the Actions section

Measuring Success

Indicators

Decarbonization - Natural Gas Consumption Citywide (SDG&E sales)