In September, the U.S. Department of Energy released a common definition for a net zero energy building. After a year and a half extensive stakeholder engagement process, the Energy Department released its findings in "A Common Definition for Zero Energy Buildings," which you can find at buildings_093015.pdf. This report states that a zero energy building is "an energy-efficient building where, on a source energy basis, the actual annual delivered energy is less than or equal to the on-site renewable exported energy." The definition also applies to campuses, portfolios and communities. The publication also provides important guidelines for measurement and implementation, specifically on how the definition can be utilized for building projects.
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