The number of net zero commercial buildings under construction in the U.S. and Canada in 2017 rose by nearly 50% over the previous year.
Though the total number of “emerging” net zero buildings, 279, is small, observers say interest in pursuing these projects has never been stronger and is growing quickly. “Zero energy” refers to buildings that generate at least 100% of their own power from renewable sources that are either onsite or built specifically for the project.
Sixty-seven commercial buildings have now been “verified” in the U.S. and Canada, according to a recent report from the New Buildings Institute. Steep drops in the cost of solar panels and improvements in their performance have been a key driver of the trend.
More economical PVs have prompted some owners to reach for net zero when they previously had seen that goal as cost-prohibitive. Codes and incentives are also influencing the growth of net zero buildings. More than half the emerging net zero buildings are in California, which has a stringent energy code and a mandate for all new state buildings to be designed for zero energy performance by 2020.
Related Stories
| Mar 15, 2012
ANSI approves new fall protection standards
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has approved two American Society of Safety Engineers' (ASSE) standards addressing fall protection.
| Mar 8, 2012
Engineering innovation provides new option for meeting seismic codes in skyscrapers
Two University of Toronto engineers have developed “viscoelastic-energy-dissipating dampers” to replace many of the heavy concrete beams used in tall structures.
| Mar 8, 2012
CSI webinar on building code compliance March 22
A March 22 webinar will provide an overview of a 28-step process during the design of a building to ensure compliance with building codes.
| Mar 8, 2012
Federal silica dust rule caught in bureaucratic limbo
A federal rule meant to protect the lungs of workers has been caught in bureaucratic purgatory for more than a year.
| Mar 8, 2012
New LEED-EBOM rating has requirements for specific project types
Several key changes are proposed for the LEED-EBOM Rating System in 2012.
| Mar 8, 2012
Green buildings more resilient than conventionally built structures
A new study by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the University of Michigan’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning suggests that structures built to green standards can advance building resiliency.
| Mar 1, 2012
LEED Platinum standard likely to mean net-zero energy by 2018
As LEED standards continue to rise, the top level, LEED Platinum, will likely mean net-zero energy construction by 2018.
| Mar 1, 2012
EPA beefs up stormwater discharge rule from construction projects
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has now finalized its 2012 construction general permit (CGP) that authorizes stormwater discharges from construction projects that disturb one or more acres of land in the areas where EPA is the permitting authority.