The Minnesota “B3” Guidelines play a pivotal role in shaping the future of building design in the state of Minnesota. B3, which stands for "Buildings, Benchmarks, and Beyond," is a sustainability standard that provides guidelines for designing and constructing energy-efficient buildings and sites. It acts as a benchmark for building performance, indoor environmental quality, responsible site water use, and energy consumption analysis, ensuring that structures meet stringent sustainability requirements.
Starting this year, Minnesota's B3 standards require any project that receives state funding to meet higher energy reduction benchmarks. Going beyond the previous 80% reduction mandate, the new standard requires building owners to achieve a remarkable 90% reduction in energy consumption compared to the average building in 2003, with specific targets based on building type. The updated B3 standards represent a significant step in advancing the state’s environmental goals and fostering a greener, more sustainable future.
What do you need to know about B3?
Projects that receive general obligation bond funding from the State of Minnesota are required to comply with the Minnesota B3 Guidelines. To meet the updated SB 2030 guidelines, which call for a 90% reduction, an online SB 2030 Energy Standard Tool (EST) is utilized. This tool creates a baseline comparison with a similar building constructed in 2003, calculating carbon emissions based on the regional electricity emission rates from 2003, as published in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Emissions & Generation Resource Integrated Database (eGRID). A 90% reduction is then applied to the 2003 baseline to establish the target building performance to achieve the B3 required reduction.
The proposed building performance is modeled in the EST using the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL) Long-Run Marginal Emission Rates for the State of Minnesota. This enables the project team to account for anticipated updates in the electrical grid, including the impacts of Minnesota's legislation for carbon-free electricity by 2040.
The SB 2030 standard requires a demonstration of cost-effectiveness when reviewing the implementation of Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) to comply with SB 2030. This includes various thresholds of acceptable simple payback calculations, which are used to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the ECMs to be utilized in the project design.
Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) can be utilized to demonstrate compliance with the 90% energy reduction, but only after all other avenues have been explored. These avenues should include all cost-effective ECMs and renewable energy options available to the project site first. Secondly, all renewable energy sources available off-site that are within the building owner’s portfolio of sites should be considered. An example of this off-site renewable energy production could be if the building owner has a neighboring parking ramp with excess solar production that could be applied to the project in design. This excess production must be cataloged and tracked to ensure it does not get “double-counted” for another site or for the selling of RECs. If RECs are utilized, a power factor must be applied. This power factor typically requires five times the amount of renewable energy to be purchased through the REC compared to if that same amount of renewable energy was on-site.
What does this mean for building owners?
CMTA has worked on many B3 compliant projects, and our top 3 takeaways for owners who are new to the process or haven’t had to meet aggressive reduction goals are below:
- Early design project team analysis of SB 2030 is paramount to understand limitations of the project site. This ensures the proper steps are taken throughout the design process to demonstrate the 90% reduction.
- Building owners must report annual energy use for 10 years after construction is complete. If the building does not meet the Energy Standard during operation, the owner must develop and implement an SB 2030 Energy Efficient Operation Manual to take corrective action to meet the Energy Standard.
- The 90% reduction is an ambitious goal and, as such, requires an aggressive building design and the implementation of innovative technologies to comply with this standard.
What does this mean for architects?
As Minnesota continues to draw in more national design teams, CMTA is poised to be a local partner with national strength when it comes to achieving these goals. Below are our top 3 takeaways for architecture teams:
- Efficient, creative, and intelligent building envelope designs are essential for achieving the 90% energy reduction. This necessitates detailed collaboration among all members of the design team.
- Early space planning to maximize site renewable energy is key to ensure the project meets the 90% energy reduction target.
- Working with consultants that are familiar with B3 guidelines and early collaboration is imperative to deliver a successful 90% reduction project.
With a long-time commitment to the AIA2030 Challenge and SB2030 Challenge, CMTA prides itself in creating buildings that prioritize energy efficiency, environmental sustainability, and occupant health and wellness.
We have a wealth of experience in designing buildings that exceed Minnesota’s B3 standards; partnering with owners, architects, and contractors to ensure our buildings perform efficiently for the long term. We work closely with architects, performing energy modeling to inform project decisions and conducting building pressure testing to ensure a tight building envelope. We also understand that 90% reduction requires more than tight envelopes and smart space planning. With over 6,500 miles of geothermal piping designed and installed as well as 148 MW of solar panels installed across the country, we leverage our national experience to help owners implement these highly efficient systems and renewables, maximizing energy performance while minimizing environmental impacts.
As Minnesota embraces the next step in B3 standards this year, CMTA continues to lead the way in sustainable engineering. We are committed to delivering innovative solutions that not only meet but exceed the state's sustainability guidelines. Together with our clients and partners, we are shaping a greener and more sustainable future for Minnesota and beyond.