What is a Net Zero Energy Building and Why it’s the Building of the Future

A Net-Zero-Energy building generates more energy on site, from renewable energy sources, than it consumes. Typically, net zero energy is measured on an annualized basis.

Rick Alfandre, AIA LEED, AP BD+C Alfandre Architecture, PC Alfandre.com 845-255-4774 ralfandre@alfandre.com

While still a nascent market, the growth trend for net zero is steep. The count of verified buildings across the United States and Canada has increased tenfold since 2010 and encompasses over 62 million square feet of commercial and multifamily building space. As more cities and states pursue climate action plans, increased attention will be focused on net zero building performance as a standard for commercial and residential buildings. This new vision is capturing the attention of building owners and operators, designers and builders, as well as policy and civic leaders. The potential market for how we approach building design and operation that uses clean energy resources efficiently and eliminates the “carbon footprint” of our buildings is huge. Different people may also refer to net zero energy (NZE) buildings as zero-net-energy or zero energy. You may see all three names referred to in this article or elsewhere. As we can see from the following charts, buildings in the United States consume more energy, by sector than either industry or transportation. Further, buildings account for the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions when we factor in the amount of electricity they use combined with the burning of fossil fuels for space heating and domestic hot water. A Zero Energy Building (ZEB), also known as a Net Zero Energy (NZE) building, or a Zero Net Energy (ZNE) building, is a building with net zero energy consumption. The total amount of energy used by the building, on an annual basis, is equal to the amount of renewable energy created on the site. In other definitions, the building may use offsite renewable energy sources.

Transportation Industrial 26% 33% NZE Buildings may, at times, consume non-renewable energy and produce greenhouse gases, but at other times reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas production elsewhere by at least the same amount. NZE buildings contribute less overall greenhouse gas emissions during operations than similar non-NZE buildings.

Share of total U.S. energy consumption by end-use sectors, 2020

Total= 92.94 quadrillion British thermal units Residential Commercial 22% 18% Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Monthly Energy Review, Table 2.1, April 2021, preliminary data. Note: Sum of individual percentages may not equal 100 because of independent rounding

Electricity consumption in the United States in 2019, by sector

(in million kilowatt hours)

Consumption in million kilowatt hours 1,750,000

1,500,000

1,250,000

1,000,000

750,000

500,000

250,000

0

©Statista 2022 1,440,289 1,360,877

1,002,353

7,632 Residential Commercial Industrial Transportation

Share of total U.S. energy consumption by end-use sectors, 2020

Total= 92.94 quadrillion British thermal units

Residential 22% Commercial 18%

Transportation 26% Industrial 33%

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Monthly Energy Review, Table 2.1, April 2021, preliminary data. Note: Sum of individual percentages may not equal 100 because of independent rounding

HOW DO WE DESIGN AND BUILD TO NET ZERO ENERGY STANDARDS?

Minimize the loads (demand) by:

• Designing for the climate and the use • Building a High-Performance enclosure including:

Properly insulated, and air sealed, walls, roofs, foundations, windows and doors • Minimize, or eliminate thermal bridging and air infiltration

Use High-Efficiency mechanical equipment that is:

• Properly sized • Flexible • Adjustable with good controls • Adjustable with good controls and good ventilation with energy recovery • Using high efficiency air or ground source heat pump systems for heating and cooling

Provide high efficiency lighting with occupancy controls.

Provide operational efficiency (where practical) including:

• Operable windows, occupant controls and education

Offset the remaining energy load with on-site renewable energy, usually solar electric panels.

Our office building in New Paltz, NY, which opened in May 2014, and exemplifies all the high-performance measures listed above, has been Net-Zero-Energy (actually net-positive) since it opened. However, we do use a miniscule amount of natural gas for heating when the outside temperatures are below 10-degrees F. The photovoltaic system, (solar electricity) generates extra power which far outweighs the energy equivalent of the natural gas that we use. Thus, the building is verified, by the New Buildings Institute and independent engineers, as Net-Zero-Energy but it is not, yet fossil fuel free. We are monitoring all the data with a newly installed data logging system and may choose to turn off the natural gas in 2022 or 2023. The air source heat pumps can probably handle the low temperatures. One of the major benefits of Net Zero Energy construction is that we can provide enhanced ventilation, better indoor air quality, without sacrificing energy efficiency. By building an ultra-energy efficient building, that also uses efficient energy recovery ventilation, we can introduce extra fresh air to a building without worrying about the energy costs associated with conditioning that fresh ventilation air. The electricity we use is increasingly coming from renewable energy sources, such as large-scale wind and solar installations. These energy sources do not emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and they are now cheaper to build than any other type of utility scale energy generation. As the electricity we use becomes emissions free it makes sense that we continue to electrify our buildings by using ground source, and air source, heat pump technologies

for space heating and domestic hot water production. All electric buildings are also known as zero emissions, or fossil fuel free, buildings.

Combining emissions free electricity with emissions free space conditioning is a “win-win” for the economy, the climate, and the building owner / operator.

Alfandre Architecture, PC Office Building in New Paltz, NY

Total U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Economic Sector in 2019

Commercial & Residential 13% Agriculture 10%

Industry 23% Transportation 29%

Electricity 25%

Total Emissions in 2019 = 6,558= Million Metric Tons of CO2 equivalent. Percentages may not add up to 100% due to independent rounding.

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Knowledge & Know-how

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IN MEMORIAM

ERNEST LEONARD PACCHIANA, who worked in the construction business and was a certified professional engineer, died on January 18, 2022 in Stormville, N.Y. He was 85.

Known to his friends and family as Ernie, he was born in Mount Vernon and attended Union College (NY) earning his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. Ernie joined the U.S. Army and served during the Cold War as an engineer. After the army, Ernie went to work in the family construction business, Thalle Construction, and managed many municipal and university projects until he embarked on his own real estate and residential development career as a certified professional engineer.

He is survived by his wife, Nannette Stone, and his five children, Dean, Adam (Miranda), Jennifer (Patrick DiCerbo), Jean Marie (PJ Stock) and Joseph.