What is AIA 2030?
The Architecture 2030 Challenge is a national effort to encourage an industry-wide commitment to prioritize building energy performance and reduce building-related impacts on the environment. It plans to achieve this change by a framework for standardized reporting (DDx) so that every firm can compete to meet the Challenge's annual 2030 energy-use percent reduction target (currently at an 80% Reduction from Baseline in 2021).

Beginning in 2006, the AIA adopted the 2030 Challenge and recognizes firms and projects which best demonstrate commitments to reducing fossil fuel, GHG-emissions, and energy consumption. Leading up to the year 2030, the target Percent Reduction will increase until every firm participating in the challenge should have the know-how and past experience to achieve Net-Zero ratings on all projects. Below is a sample of what the new 2030 DDx interface shows. Also, check out the 2030 Commitment AIA Youtube for other amazing tutorials.

How can cove.tool help?
Every cove.tool project generates the minimum amount of information needed to set up and report a project to the 2030 DDx. Inputs include calculating the baseline and predicted Energy Use Intensity (EUI), Lighting Power Density (LPD), Renewable Energy (PV), and Embodied Carbon (kgCO2e). These values are used to demonstrate how your building falls on the performance spectrum for Energy and Carbon Use Reduction. Cove.tool has also built in the 2030 DDx Dashboard (AIA 2030 Design Data Exchange) so you can track and report your firm's projects and update your building's performance in every design phase.

Before we Begin

Note that the 2030 DDx platform has changed its reporting workflow and web-interface as of October 2020 (for the 2021 Reporting Period). Previously factors like Envelope Assumptions and Water Usage were collected during the reporting process. This has now been removed, but in its place, a new Design Phase Data section has been included. This section requires projects to report EUI, WWR%, LPD, (and if available) Renewable Energy Usage, and Embodied Carbon. The following sections will explain how cove.tool can be used to set up a project and also how to report to the later design phase stages.

Step 1: Make sure your firm has already registered to the 2030 Commitment and has an AIA 2030 DDX account. If you don't have one, create it here. Make sure before you move on to Step 2 you have also set up your DDx connection with cove.tool (tutorial here).

Step 2: The projects are linked through the project name and project number which are determined by the firm file/naming convention. For existing 2030 projects, use the same Project Name and Number in both platforms (cove.tool Below: Top, DDx Below: Bottom). Once you export your information from cove.tool it will automatically populate the initial DDx pages (1-3) except for factors related to cost.

NOTE: Only an administrator can upload projects to the DDX Dashboard.
Login to your cove.tool account and on the top right click on your account and you will see the option Your Business. If you don't see this option you will need to ask your administrator to make you an administrator.

Step 3: Either creating a new project, or using an existing project you will be able to report the results of your project to the DDx. Once arriving to the Baseline Page you will see the Update 2030 DDX button below the top 4th table 'Benchmarking Energy'. Before sending your information to the DDx, make sure to select your correct building typology (instructions in step 4).

The list of codes that can be currently reported to the DDx can be found here, under the Parameter Selection Option Lists)

​Step 4: To change your building typology to a specific usetype, follow these steps. Under the General tab, users should select a new use-type in the 2030 Building Type input drop-down list. Selecting a new use-type will reconfigure your existing baseline to connect to a more appropriate baseline reference as provided by the 2030 DDX Database. Below is a list of all the available options. For definitions and further explanation of each building type option, check out this article.

Step 5: Last, alter the rest of your engineering inputs to fit your current design strategy hit the recalculate button to apply the changes and calculate accurate EUI and carbon emission data.

Step 6: Now you are ready to export your data to the DDx. Click the "Update to 2030 DDx." This will show a timestamp of the last export and now you can return to the DDx platform and complete any other inputs which cove.tool did not autocomplete. These would primarily include cost-related details.

​To Continue to More DDx Reporting Steps,
​check out the Part 2 Article - 2030 DDx Platform and Report.

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