BuiltCold simplifies Buy Clean compliance, saving agencies time and minimizing disruption to the construction community.

Article by Taylor Linnell, CEO and Co-founder of BuiltCold

What if governments had access to modern, purpose-built software to implement Buy Clean policies? Could they do so more efficiently, saving both time and resources? This was the pivotal question we set out to answer when we founded BuiltCold.

I’m Taylor Linnell, CEO and co-founder of BuiltCold. Together with my co-founder, MacKinley Smith, we designed BuiltCold to reduce the administrative burden on agencies implementing low-carbon construction policies like the Federal Buy Clean Initiative e il Compra Clean Colorado Act.

Theoretical to Tactical

Buy Clean policies reduce embodied carbon emissions by mandating or incentivizing low-carbon construction materials in the public and private sectors. This drives investment from suppliers to decarbonize their operations to meet the growing demand. In theory, Buy Clean programs could be one of the most powerful tools in fighting climate change, as embodied carbon emissions from construction account for 11% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Rocky Mountain Institute. However, the path from policy creation to agency implementation presents significant challenges.

Agencies face a monumental task. They must update design and construction guidelines while navigating a shifting landscape of data and terms like Global Warming Potential (GWP), Product Category Rules (PCR), Life Cycle Assessments (LCA), and Environmental Product Declarations (EPD). Adding to the complexity, Buy Clean policies impact nearly every stakeholder in the construction value chain, requiring extensive communication and coordination among agencies, designers, builders, and suppliers. It’s overwhelming.

Built to Help

To address these challenges, BuiltCold streamlines compliance by automating much of the administrative work, freeing up agency capacity and keeping construction processes efficient.

Instead of agencies posting request for proposals (RFPs) with Buy Clean requirements and then receiving low-carbon product submissions in various formats referencing conflicting datasets, BuiltCold automatically matches RFPs with suppliers offering compliant products based on location, agency requirements, and GWP limits. Design firms and general contractors can then effortlessly select materials that meet Buy Clean requirements and generate the necessary documents to submit with their bids. For suppliers without qualifying products, BuiltCold facilitates connections to nonprofits and trade associations that offer guidance on decarbonization pathways and EPD generation.

Material selection is just the beginning. Without efficient coordination from bid to post-construction, agencies can get bogged down chasing answers and updates. BuiltCold solves this by fostering collaboration between project managers, designers, contractors, and suppliers, allowing them to align product choices and timelines easily. By optimizing these interactions, BuiltCold keeps projects moving smoothly through the design-bid-build phases, ensuring they stay on track with Buy Clean requirements.

Go Low to Win Big

BuiltCold is already making an impact at the federal level, supporting agencies in managing $2.49 billion in Inflation Reduction Act funding for low-carbon materials across more than 160 sites. Our technology also plays a key role in Executive Order 14057, the Federal Buy Clean Initiative, which prioritizes low-carbon materials in construction bids across the federal government.

At the state level, Colorado’s construction community uses BuiltCold to identify compliant suppliers for public projects over $500,000, ensuring adherence to the Buy Clean Colorado Act. Private sector projects, both residential and commercial, can leverage BuiltCold to capture Colorado state sales and use tax exemptions for qualifying low-carbon materials.

Partnering to Accelerate

At BuiltCold, we’ve adopted an integration-first approach to ensure compatibility with existing systems and workflows. We recognize the challenges of replacing established processes, so from the start, we’ve prioritized partnerships to deliver a compliance solution that enhances current operations.

One of our key partnerships is with the nonprofit Trasparenza dell'edificio. Their EPD database and consultation have contributed significantly to advancing BuiltCold’s mission. Moving forward, our platforms will integrate even more closely to provide governments and general contractors with the most seamless experience possible.

BuiltCold is here to help agencies and the construction community manage Buy Clean compliance more effectively, ensuring smooth operations and faster progress in reducing embodied carbon. If you’re interested in how BuiltCold can enhance your compliance processes or explore integration opportunities, feel free to reach out to me at [email protected].