The U.S. Department of Energy has released a common definition for a zero energy building: “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 recently published A Common Definition for Zero Energy Buildings provides clarity across the industry, and provides important guidelines for measurement and implementation on building projects.
In collaboration with the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), DOE initiated a process last year to work with a large, diverse set of building industry stakeholders to develop its common definition for what it means to be a zero energy building.
“By clarifying what it means to be a zero energy building, this definition will help more building owners determine if developing a zero energy building is right for them,” DOE says. “By creating this common definition for zero energy buildings, building owners and project teams can now better focus their effort on implementing strategies to improve the performance of their buildings.”
Related Stories
| May 31, 2012
2011 Reconstruction Award Profile: Seegers Student Union at Muhlenberg College
Seegers Student Union at Muhlenberg College has been reconstructed to serve as the core of social life on campus.
| May 31, 2012
Perkins+Will-designed engineering building at University of Buffalo opens
Clad in glass and copper-colored panels, the three-story building thrusts outward from the core of the campus to establish a new identity for the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the campus at large.
| May 29, 2012
Reconstruction Awards Entry Information
Download a PDF of the Entry Information at the bottom of this page.
| May 24, 2012
2012 Reconstruction Awards Entry Form
Download a PDF of the Entry Form at the bottom of this page.
| May 21, 2012
Wayne, Pa.'s Radnor Middle School wins national green award
Radnor Middle School among the most sustainable schools in the U.S.
| May 16, 2012
AIA issues guide to IGCC
Getting the IgCC adopted in all 50 states and in jurisdictions across the country is the primary mission of the ICC, which published the code in March.
| May 3, 2012
U of Michigan team looking to create highly efficient building envelope designs
The system combines the use of sensors, novel construction materials, and utility control software in an effort to create technology capable of reducing a building’s carbon footprint.
| May 3, 2012
NSF publishes ANSI standard evaluating the sustainability of single ply roofing membranes
New NSF Standard provides manufacturers, specifiers and building industry with verifiable, objective criteria to identify sustainable roofing products.
| Apr 27, 2012
APA launches wood design web portal for building and design pros
Design professionals who are members of APA’s Professional Associates are automatically enrolled in the APA Designers Circle program.
| Apr 20, 2012
Registration open for Solar Power International 2012 in Orlando
President Bill Clinton to deliver keynote address at ?largest solar energy event in the Americas.