The International Living Future Institute recently rebranded its Net Zero Energy program as “Zero Energy Building Certification.”
The Institute wants to position the certification as the sole standard for achieving top performance in building energy efficiency. ILFI will administer the certification program, and in collaboration with the New Buildings Institute, will operate a joint portal for zero energy buildings, which is still under development.
The standard’s reboot comes as improved solar, lighting, HVAC, and building-envelope technology have put zero energy within reach for more and more buildings, ILFI says. By the end of 2016, New Buildings Institute had verified that 53 buildings in its database produced more renewable energy than the total energy they used. Another 279 were designed to attain zero energy but hadn’t yet performed at that level for a full year.
The new standard eases the path toward certification including eliminating a requirement for a site audit.
Related Stories
Mass Timber | May 31, 2022
Tall mass timber buildings number 139 worldwide
An audit of tall mass timber buildings turned up 139 such structures around the world either complete, under construction, or proposed.
Legislation | May 20, 2022
Arlington County, Virginia may legalize multifamily housing countywide
Arlington County, Va., a Washington, D.C.-area community, is considering proposed legislation that would remove zoning restrictions on multifamily housing up to eight units in size.
Codes and Standards | May 20, 2022
Wildfire threat score now available for all U.S. homes
The non-profit First Street Foundation has made publicly available a database that assesses the wildfire risk of all U.S. homes.
Coronavirus | May 20, 2022
Center for Green Schools says U.S. schools need more support to fight COVID-19
The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council released a new report detailing how school districts around the country have managed air quality within their buildings during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Regulations | May 20, 2022
Biden’s Clean Air in Buildings Challenge aims to reduce COVID-19 spread
The Biden Administration recently launched the Clean Air in Buildings Challenge that calls on all building owners and operators, schools, colleges and universities, and organizations to adopt strategies to improve indoor air quality in their buildings and reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Codes and Standards | May 19, 2022
JLL launches non-profit aiming to mitigate climate change
Real estate and investment management firm JLL recently launched JLL Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to making a long-term impact on environmental sustainability.
Biophilic Design | May 18, 2022
Horticulturalists conduct research study to understand the value of biophilic design
Benholm Group, horticulturalists that have pioneered the use of plants for interiors over the past 27 years, are collaborating on a research study to understand the value of biophilic design, according to a news release.
Building Team | May 17, 2022
MKA’s Embodied Carbon Action Plan will include reporting on carbon reductions for selected projects
Magnusson Klemencic Associates (MKA) recently released its SE 2050 Embodied Carbon Action Plan (ECAP) for 2022.
Codes and Standards | May 16, 2022
AIA releases Justice in the Built Environment guide
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) recently published a new supplementary edition of the Guides for Equitable Practice, titled “Justice in the Built Environment.”
Codes and Standards | May 12, 2022
Solar industry creates non-profit to remove barriers to clean energy deployment
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) is launching a 501(c)3 non-profit organization to accelerate the transition to carbon-free electricity.
