Getting to Zero Starting with 100 - A First Look at the Costs Features of Zero Energy Commercial Buildings

摘要

The quest to achieve net zero energy buildings by 2030 as a means to curb the impacts of climate change may have lost some of its luster lately as programs and policies focus on efficiency efforts in existing building stock and whatever else that will spur job creation in the near term. But, the development of net zero energy projects, policies and programs has certainly not stopped. Zero-energy targets for commercial buildings have been widely adopted by groups such as the U.S. Conference of Mayors, National Association of Counties and by hundreds of leading design and engineering firms through the 2030 Challenge and AIA 2030. ASHRAE is also actively tying its work focus and outcomes to the 2030 goal of net-zero-energy buildings. Massachusetts and California continue to pursue a net zero energy building agenda. New Buildings Institute (NBI), the Zero Energy Commercial Buildings Consortium and the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) completed a study in early 2012 examining the number, efficiency features and cost of net zero buildings across the United States. This paper builds on that study and includes: a look at the market, lessons learned from current projects on technologies and strategies applied, descriptions of some of the programs and policies that are supporting forward movement, and recommended next steps.