Top 8 Affordable Strategies to Decarbonize Commercial Buildings

Why Decarbonization Doesn’t Have to Break the Bank

For building owners and operators, decarbonization is no longer optional. With rising pressure from regulations, investors, and tenants, the time to act is now. But the assumption that slashing emissions requires expensive retrofits often stalls progress.

The truth? Many low-cost or no-cost building decarbonization strategies can be implemented today—without major upgrades or budget overruns. These energy efficiency improvements tap into operational excellence to drive real emissions reductions.

What Are Operational Decarbonization Strategies?

Operational decarbonization refers to changes in how a building is run—think HVAC scheduling, lighting control, and ventilation optimization—rather than physical upgrades like new chillers or solar panels. These strategies can be deployed quickly, often with existing systems and teams.

Below are 8 of the most effective, low-cost steps to reduce carbon emissions in commercial buildings today.

1. Optimize HVAC Schedules

Why it matters: HVAC is one of the biggest contributors to building emissions. Systems often run long hours unnecessarily, especially in underutilized spaces.

Actionable Steps:

• Audit existing HVAC schedules.
• Match run times with occupancy hours.
• Use automated schedules or time-of-day programming where available.

Applicable Asset Types: Office, retail, hospitality (common spaces and meeting rooms), universities, healthcare, K-12 schools
Vendor Required? Optional (controls vendor can help optimize automation)
Estimated Return: 5–15% energy reduction

2. Adjust Building Temperature Setpoints

Why it matters: Tight temperature bands increase energy consumption without noticeably improving comfort.

Actionable Steps:

• Shift cooling setpoints up (e.g., from 70°F to 74°F).
• Lower heating setpoints where appropriate.
• Use occupant feedback and monitoring tools to maintain satisfaction.

Applicable Asset Types: Multifamily, office, hospitality, retail
Vendor Required? Not usually (unless tied to complex automation systems)
Estimated Return: 2–10% HVAC savings

3. Power Down Unused Equipment After Hours

Why it matters: Lighting, ventilation, and plug loads often stay on when buildings are unoccupied.

Actionable Steps:

• Conduct nighttime building audits.
• Install occupancy sensors or use plug load timers.
• Set clear after-hours shutdown procedures for staff and janitorial teams.

Applicable Asset Types: All commercial buildings
Vendor Required? No
Estimated Return: Up to 25% lighting and plug load energy savings

4. Reset Supply Air Temperature and Static Pressure

Why it matters: In VAV systems, supply air temps are often colder than necessary and fan speeds are too high—both waste energy.

Actionable Steps:

• Increase cooling supply air temperature by 1–2°F.
• Reduce static pressure setpoints on AHUs.
• Use trend data to monitor performance and comfort.

Applicable Asset Types: Office, schools, hospitals, hospitality
Vendor Required? Yes (controls vendor or commissioning agent)
Estimated Return: 5–20% energy savings

5. Enable Night Setbacks and Free Cooling

Why it matters: Maintaining tight temperature ranges overnight or ignoring outdoor air opportunities leads to unnecessary emissions.

Actionable Steps:

• Set nighttime temperature ranges to 60–85°F.
• Enable economizer controls to use outdoor air when cooler.
• Schedule overrides only when needed.

Applicable Asset Types: Office, mixed-use, retail, government
Vendor Required? Sometimes (for economizer control programming)
Estimated Return: 10–15% HVAC savings

6. Conduct a Building Tune-Up

Why it matters: Small inefficiencies—like leaky valves or faulty sensors—can compound over time.

Actionable Steps:

• Review building automation data for anomalies.
• Recalibrate sensors and actuators.
• Fix or replace broken dampers and valves.

Applicable Asset Types: All commercial buildings
Vendor Required? Yes (energy engineer or retro-commissioning provider)
Estimated Return: 5–15% overall energy savings

7. Optimize Ventilation Rates

Why it matters: Many buildings over-ventilate, increasing energy use for heating and cooling unnecessary outside air.

Actionable Steps:

• Align with ASHRAE 62.1 or local ventilation code minimums.
• Deploy demand-controlled ventilation (DCV) using CO₂ sensors.
• Scale back ventilation during low occupancy hours.

Applicable Asset Types: Office, education, multifamily (common areas), retail, hospitality
Vendor Required? Yes (for sensor installation and control reprogramming)
Estimated Return: 10–30% HVAC energy reduction

8. Track and Analyze Energy Use Weekly

Why it matters: You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Regular energy monitoring identifies deviations early—before they become big problems.

Action Steps:

• Set a recurring weekly review of utility data and building trends.
• Flag and investigate anomalies (e.g., spikes in weekend use).
• Benchmark performance month-over-month or year-over-year.
• Consider implementing an integrated energy management system (EMS) if you do not have one in place already. 

Asset Type Applicability: All commercial buidings
Vendor Required? Though it is possible to conduct basic analysis using utility bills or interval data, this becomes increasingly unwieldy as the scope increases, and it is likely that you will miss opportunities to optimize. All-in-one energy management platforms (like Noda) can help normalize disparate data (e.g. from bills, meters and BAS); accelerate analysis, anomaly detection, and optimization project identification; support project M&V; and enhance overall  initiative impact.
Expected Return: Can identify 5–30%+ of preventable energy waste through early detection, depending on buildings and systems integrated. 

Start With These Steps—and Build Momentum

These operational strategies are more than a quick fix—they're the foundation of a high-performance, low-carbon building. Most don’t require capital expenditures or long lead times. What they do require is coordination across facilities teams, clear operating procedures, and, in some cases, collaboration with controls or HVAC vendors.

The key is to start small and build momentum. Choose two or three strategies that are easiest to implement across your portfolio. Once you show measurable energy savings, expand to other buildings, bring in automation where needed, and use the savings to fund deeper retrofits.

Final Thoughts

For too long, operational efficiency has been the unsung hero of decarbonization. But in a world where budgets are shrinking and compliance deadlines are approaching, these strategies are finally getting their due.

Done right, they do more than reduce emissions—they drive tenant satisfaction, lower OpEx, and position portfolios for regulatory compliance and long-term resilience.

Decarbonization isn’t just about flashy retrofits or big budgets. Sometimes, it’s as simple as turning things off when they’re not needed.

About Noda

Noda is a data and analytics company on a mission to make every building smarter, more efficient, and more sustainable. Recently ranked in the top 10 tech companies leading the charge on climate action, its AI-powered suite of products surface unique insights that empower real estate teams to reduce costs, decrease time spent on routine work, and find and act on opportunities to save energy and carbon. Discover how Noda's solutions can unlock the potential of your assets and accelerate the transition to net zero. Visit us at noda.ai to learn more.