Architecture 2030 developed the Zero Tool for building sector professionals, 2030 Challenge and 2030 Commitment adopters, 2030 District Network Members, and policymakers. The Zero Tool is used to compare an existing or planned building’s energy use intensity (EUI) with similar building types, understand how a building achieved its EUI (via energy efficiency, on-site renewable energy, and/or green power purchases), and set EUI targets.

Prior to the Zero Tool, ENERGY STAR’s Target Finder was the primary program for determining a building’s site energy use intensity (EUI) baseline and design target. However, ENERGY STAR changed their baseline from the 2003 Commercial Building Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS 2003) to CBECS 2012. The Zero Tool’s analysis is based on the CBECS 2003 dataset, an industry baseline which has been agreed upon by most building sector organizations including Architecture 2030, ASHRAE, AIA, and USGBC. The Zero Tool allows those designing to the 2030 Challenge and other targets to maintain pre-existing baselines in order to continue to measure their progress.

The Zero Tool also expands on Target Finder’s features, providing simple, clear, and graphic results for visualizing baselines, building design targets, and existing building performance.

A Zero Score allows properties and building codes to be compared based on their relative ‘percent from zero’, allowing for normalized property and code comparisons across diverse locations, space use types, and building characteristics. For more information about Zero Scores, see below.