Everyone in the building trades are now aware of LEEDS and other “green” building standards. The goal has been to build structures with low waste, from ecologically sound materials, and energy efficient. Now we’re all learning about Net Zero Energy standards.
What is Net Zero Energy?
By definition, a Net Zero Energy building is one using no more energy than is produced by either onsite or offsite renewable energy sources.
A variety of methods are employed for energy production and energy conservation is still a key factor in hitting the Net Zero mark. It is possible for a building to product more energy than it uses thus becoming a Net Positive Energy building. Excess energy can be sold or donated into the public grid.
The Obama Administration led the charge with an executive order mandating that all new Federal buildings meet Net Zero Energy standards by 2030. The General Services Administration then set a goal that 50% of existing Federal buildings would meet the standard also by 2030.
So far the federal government is leading the Net Zero Energy charge, more private construction is starting to evaluate the cost vs savings.
The New Buildings Institute says the number of Net Zero Energy projects doubled from 2012 to 2014. The effort is catching on. Appears commercial/office buildings are the prime focus, but research and analysis is being done on retail and residential building methods as well.
The Economics
Construction costs are obviously higher. A fact promoter’s claim is well offset from the energy savings owners will realize. The U.S. Forestry Service in California renovated a 48 year old technology center and expects to now save $250,000 per year in energy costs.
So the return on investment via energy savings is a selling point. Another is less reliance on the electric or gas grid which can suffer outages from natural disasters and other failures. Some areas also have tax or utility company rebates that help reduce the initial investment.
Landscape Industry Affect
As of this moment we don’t know how much this affects irrigation systems. How will energy consumption be measured? Operating an irrigation system uses very little electrical energy unless there are pumps involved. Will the energy supplied by pressurized public water systems be factored?
Outdoor lighting is already doing its part with LED. Owners are saving considerable energy. The large variety of lamps and fixtures makes LED a natural and very easy feature to build into a Net Zero Energy property. The landscape industry will have to watch and learn how Net Zero affects our practices.
