Energy spent on construction constitutes a significant portion of the total amount of energy consumed worldwide. In addition to consuming significant amounts of energy, construction energy is also responsible for huge amounts of carbon dioxide emissions. Additionally, office buildings consume approximately 1,055.5 MJ/m2 of energy per year. Additionally, office buildings accounted for up to a fifth of all energy supplied and consumed by commercial buildings. However, not all of this energy comes from the construction of the building. But it also includes the large number of electrical and mechanical equipment that must be integrated into the building, intended for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (hereinafter HVAC). Commercial buildings therefore constitute a fundamental area of ​​intervention for improving energy efficiency (Herzog, 1997)Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayFrom an environmental perspective, approximately of the 6 billion tons of carbon emissions from industrialized countries, 4.5 tonnes result from the construction of buildings. More energy efficient building structures can reduce the amount of carbon emitted by up to 60%. This value represents up to 1.35 billion tonnes of carbon; a significant quantity. Energy efficiency refers to the provision of an improved level of service while using reduced amounts of energy, thereby reducing costs spent on energy. By setting efficiency standards, some states, such as California, are able to increase their economic prosperity by protecting consumers from exorbitant energy costs. Additionally, they help stabilize the state's energy supply by reducing the state's overall energy demand. The State of California is leading efforts to achieve energy efficiency in commercial buildings by implementing net-zero energy (hereinafter ZNE) policies. However, this implementation requires significant improvements in commercial building construction efficiency. This research paper will discuss the process of achieving energy efficiency in commercial buildings by considering the different protocols and strategies to achieve this goal. The document offers several recommendations that can be implemented in order to achieve this goal. Buildings considered net-zero energy combine the production of renewable energy found on site with energy efficiency. These represent an opportunity to regulate the cost of energy and also to achieve greenhouse gas emission targets. A net zero energy building refers to a building in which the amount of societal energy used over a period of one year; is equal to or less than the quantity of renewable societal energy generated on the site. The societal value of energy refers to the projected cost of energy over time. This includes factors such as the value linked to the amount of carbon emissions, the cost of peak demand as well as other externalized costs. In order to provide buildings that comply with the ZNE standard, energy consumption in buildings must be reduced as much as possible. This can only be achieved by using energy efficiently. This means that the level of energy consumed in the building must be reduced to the point that the energy demand of the building can be sufficiently met by the installed photovoltaic cells or by external renewable energy sources (Jayamaha, 2006). Additionally, any future updates made to thebuilding must follow the building's energy efficiency plans. In addition to building modifications that must comply, new appliances that can be installed in the building must also be energy efficient. In order to achieve high energy conservation standards, the State of California has implemented several strategies. Current efforts to achieve an energy-efficient environment rely on several policy initiatives that have a wide range of objectives ranging from job creation to environmental protection and economic development. Most of California's housing, as well as commercial buildings, were constructed before 1978. Therefore, these buildings represent an opportunity for the State of California to meet its greenhouse gas reduction goals and objectives. greenhouse issued. As a result, California Governor Brown has instilled a policy of improving energy efficiency as part of his Clean Energy Jobs Plan. This plan allowed the Energy Commission to propose energy regulatory standards and improvements for existing buildings. This gave a state agency the authority to exploit this opportunity to improve energy efficiency; a power that did not exist before (Torcellini et al, 2006). Under Governor Brown's plan, several key actions can be used to ensure energy efficiency is achieved. One of the key steps suggested is the implementation of stricter standards for devices used for lighting and other consumer electronics. It also proposes the creation of new efficiency standards that must be met when constructing new buildings. Additionally, he proposes increasing public education and strengthening efforts to meet these standards. Finally, it suggests the need to transform existing buildings to become more efficient, especially those built before the implementation of current building standards. In addition to Governor Brown's policies, several laws also strive to ensure energy efficiency in commercial buildings. and any other building constructed in California. One such law is the Warren-Alquist Act. It was this law that mandated the California Energy Commission to develop, implement and adopt standards requiring either the maximum allowable energy consumption for household appliances or the minimum acceptable energy efficiency in buildings . Efficiency standards for household appliances require that manufacturers be able to cover all achievable energy reductions without sacrificing the safety or comfort expected of the consumer when using the appliances (Herzog, 1997). California's Clean Energy Futures Initiative promotes activities and initiatives to reduce energy consumption. quantity of carbon emitted as well as those aimed at creating green jobs. The Global Warming Solutions Act – AB 32 launched an initiative to bring the amount of carbon emitted by California back to 1990 levels by 2020. The law notes that the most notable way to reduce the amount of carbon emitted in California the environment by constructing new energy-efficient buildings. There is, however, an urgent need to improve the energy efficiency of buildings constructed before 1978. There are large differences in the amount of energy consumed within the population as well as in building types. Building to energy efficiency standards aims to minimize building energy costs for consumers whilst being as technically feasible as possible, without limiting usageenergy. For an energy-efficient building to be designed, there must be a design oriented in this direction. The design must take into account the characteristics of the environment. Additionally, it must be able to maximize passive opportunities that will ensure the reduction of energy required for heating and cooling the entire building. This is a logical way by which the energy efficiency of a building can be improved. Environmental characteristics to consider include weather conditions, temperature variations, and site-specific optimization opportunities, including: light orientation. The construction of energy-efficient buildings can also be improved by incorporating high-efficiency mechanical and lighting systems into the building design. Building energy efficiency standards and appliance efficiency standards provide the mechanisms necessary to reduce the energy needs of a building. The standards promote the use of modern, energy-efficient technologies, such as the use of compressor-free heating, cooling and ventilation systems, as well as high-efficiency lighting fixtures for the building's lighting system. This allows buildings to be kept at minimum energy consumption without sacrificing user comfort (Jayamaha, 2006). There are several challenges associated with the construction and implementation of energy efficient buildings. There are still several challenges to overcome in order to make significant progress in energy efficiency in buildings. Despite the policies and laws that regulate the construction of energy-efficient buildings, it is up to appliance manufacturers, distributors and construction engineers to comply with them. Around 30% of the energy saved through the implementation of energy-efficient buildings is wasted due to non-compliance with current regulations. Non-compliance involves aspects such as failure to install HVAC systems and improper sealing of air ducts. In exchange for stimulus funds, California committed to compliance by 2017. There is a lack of adequate enforcement of standards and implementation of other strategies to improve energy efficiency. These challenges increase the construction costs and energy demand of these buildings. This is a serious setback for efforts to improve energy efficiency. In order to reduce this problem, it is mandatory that all commonly poorly installed efficiency measures be inspected and verified by independent energy inspectors. Third-party energy inspectors are called HERS assessors. Their mandate includes: using specific diagnostic tests and field verification protocols to establish the quality of installed devices. They thus protect the consumer by ensuring that the equipment purchased is as energy efficient as possible and saves them costs. Building services also face enormous challenges in implementing energy efficiency in buildings. Most of the obstacles the building department faces are due to lack of sufficient funding. These departments rely on permit fees and therefore have no surplus that they could use to track unlicensed contractors. There are also bad HVAC changes and repairs. Reports show that only 10% of all HVAC systems are installed correctly and have the required permits to operate (Herzog, 1997). Several recommendations can be made to guarantee the implementation.