Welcome to NET ZERO ENERGY BUILDINGS

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Some Special Thanks to:

California Center for Sustainable Energy U.S. Green Building Council National Association of Home Builder’s Research

Center California Solar / Wayne Pendrey Jack L. Gosnell, PhD Derry Scully, Dublin University College of Dublin MosArt Architects, Dublin

ZERO ENERGY BUILDINGS

What is a “Zero Energy Building” ?

There is NO one definition of a ZEBThere is NO U.S. national or international

standard that defines a ZEBSome European Countries have established

their own ZEB National Standards and the EU is currently working on a universal EU Standard

The Definition of a ZEB varies greatly based upon the priorities and metrics of:

Total Carbon Emissions Amount of “Grid Dependence” Dependence on Fossil Fuels Off Site Energy Consumption during the

building’s construction

Some ZEB Concepts & Buzz Words:

Net Zero SITE Energy Use Net Zero SOURCE Energy Use Net Zero Energy Emissions Net Zero Cost Net OFF SITE Zero Energy Use Off the Grid Cradle to Cradle Net Zero Energy Building

A Brief History of Net Zero Energy

Early attempts at ZEBs started in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the U.S. and Europe

Academic and Industry Research started in the 1990s due to U.S. & European Energy Standards :

In the U.S.:– Energy Star– LEED– Green Point Rated Homes

In Europe: – Minergie Standard (Switzerland)– Passivehaus (Germany)– National Home Energy Rating System (U.K.)

What Makes an ZEB Building ?

Site Selection & Orientation Passive Solar Design Building Envelope Design & Construction Integration of Low Energy Consumption

Systems Active Energy Systems

When Analyzing ZEB Opportunities:

Think “Passive” First

& “Active” Second !!

Site Selection:

Solar Orientation Historic Wind Patterns Orientation Geothermal Opportunities Topography Potential Mitigation of “Heat Island” Effect Landscaping Opportunities

Solar Orientation

Historic Wind Patterns Orientation

Geothermal Opportunities

Topography

Potential to Mitigate “Heat Island” Effect

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Landscaping Opportunities

Why Should We Build ZEBs ?

Peak Oil .

.Energy is Used in three main areas of life

ManufacturingTransportationHeating & Cooling & Lighting of

Buildings

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But only ONE of those, which happens to be the largest (42-56% of world energy by various estimates)

Can be reduced to ZERO

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And that is, of course…

Heating, Cooling & Lighting of Buildings

Welcome to the Revolution!

In 1947, Scientists at Bell Laboratories invented the transistor, a device that was, in comparison to vacuum tubes:

More efficient Much smaller, compact Longer lasting Better in every way except, initially, capacity, and

even that characteristic improved Less expensive Instant acting Shake & Shock resistant

So what Revolution…… are We Plotting?

One perhaps as fundamental as the electronics/communications revolution….

Prediction: by 2020, the ways in which most of the buildings on earth are constructed will be as different from current conventional methods as transistors and chips are different from vacuum tubes….

Time for Energy Independence for All of America’s Buildings?

It’s already High Noon

Our Revolution in Construction

By 2020, Construction of Buildings in America and Around the World will be fundamentally different in:

Insulation Heat/Cold Retention Circulation/Ventilation Water Usage/Purity of Effluents Cleanliness/Freshness of Air Health Aspects Sound-Proofness

ABILITY TO OPERATE

ENERGY-INDEPENDENTLY

What are Signals for the Revolution?

LEED – which, in America, is addressing the large part of the total set of environmental and energy issues in building and construction

The 2030 Challenge Passive Standard – which, in Europe, is

rapidly becoming pan-European CODE

Europe’s Passive Haus’ (P.H.) Standard

A Passive House is any building in which a comfortable interior climate can be maintained without active heating and cooling systems

The building heats and cools itself, hence passive...

How does a Passive House Building Work ?

First Certified P.H. in IrelandThis House generates 87% of its own energy

Example of Air Ventilation & Heating

Fully integrated design strategies dramatically reduce energy consumption

100% ZEB Home in Ireland

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“Quality of Life” Buildings

Term ‘Passive House’ sounds, perhaps, on this side of the Atlantic...

…a little too passive!!

What a P.H. really doesis provide highest

‘Quality of Life Buildings’or ‘QLB’ for short

Advantages of ‘Quality of Life Building’ (QLB) Standard

Running costs: very low (or even none!) Comfort: High Working/living environment: Healthy Buildings: Bright, Airy Energy needs: Future-proofed Building life: Prolonged Sound proofing: Excellent LEED Certification: Excellent (Platinum Plus is

possible)

Europe, which had its First Passive-Standard Home Only 10

Years Ago…

Now has over 10,000 of them! Most are homes. There are also many larger buildings: apartment

buildings, offices, churches, schools… Unfortunately we assembled here mostly photos of

larger buildings… Passive Standard do NOT limit appearance of a

home or building…

ZEB Office Building in AustriaGenerates 90% of its’ Own Energy

Requirements

Church in AustriaThat Thinks it’s a Power Plant !

Manufacturing facility in Austria that requires NO Electrical Lighting

Community Center in Austria that is a 100% ZEB Building

Montessori School, Germany100% Fresh Air Change, 4 times per hour100% Natural Lighting

Students Test Scores improved 12% to 15% upon relocating to this School upon its’ completion

Retrofitting to PH and ZEB Standards

Our Bottom line ($$$)…… is the bottom line….

How Much does all this high-spec build cost?

&

What happens to

Running Costs?

Cost Comparison Construction Costs of a 50% ZEB Office Building, Kiel, Germany

(Building Shell _ Tenant Improvements - Converted to U.S. Dollars)

Conventional Sustainable DifferenceFrame 48.28 53.82 11.46%Envelope 83.65 101.27 21.06%Roof 15.20 15.11 -0.58%Walls/Doors12.78 12.90 0.95%Finishes 33.48 32.24 -3.70%Services 92.18 86.64 -6.01%Siteworks 7.04 7.02 -0.37%

TOTALS 292.62 309.00 5.60%

Energy Savings

Office Building Type EnergyConventional 25 KWH/ft2/year

Sustainable 10 KWH/ft2/year

Savings 15 KWH/ft2/yearFor a 250,000 Office Building,

that’s a Savings of over $350,000 per year

Test

Some Documented Success Stories & Facts

20%BETTER TEST

PERFORMANCE

SCHOOLS

EARLIERDISCHARGE

HOSPITALS

INCREASEDPRODUCTION

FACTORIES

2-16%PRODUCTIVITY

INCREASE

OFFICES

INCREASEIN SALES PERSQUARE FOOT

RETAIL

We’re in California, USA…

…so that’s enough

About Europe …

What’s up in the good old U.S.A. ?

U.S.G.B.C. LEEDs Programs and Certifications

The 2030 Challenge Developers in search of a better Bottom Line

The 2030 Challenge

The 2030 Challenge asking the global architecture and building community to adopt the following targets:

All new buildings, developments and major renovations shall be designed to meet a fossil fuel, GHG-emitting, energy consumption performance standard of 50% of the regional (or country) average for that building type.

At a minimum, an equal amount of existing building area shall be renovated annually to meet a fossil fuel, GHG-emitting, energy consumption performance standard of 50% of the regional (or country) average for that building type.

The fossil fuel reduction standard for all new buildings and major renovations shall be increased to: – 60% in 2010

70% in 201580% in 202090% in 2025 Carbon-neutral in 2030 (using no fossil fuel GHG emitting energy to operate).

These targets may be accomplished by implementing innovative sustainable design strategies, generating on-site renewable power and/or purchasing (20% maximum) renewable energy and/or certified renewable energy credits.

Who’s on Board ?

The American Institute of Architects (AIA)US Green Building Council (USGBC)Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)Royal Architecture Institute of Canada (RAIC)County of Sarasota, FLState of New Mexico (Governor Bill Richardson)City of Santa Fe, NMRocky Mountain Institute (RMI)Environment AmericaInternational Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI)World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)Environmental Protection Agency (EPA/Target Finder)American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)National Wildlife Federation (NWF)Society of Building Science Educators (SBSE)AIA Committee on the Environment (AIA/COTE)Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA)Union Internationale des Architectes (UIA)American Solar Energy Society (ASES)American Society of Interior Designers (ASID)Cascadia Region Green Building CouncilOntario Association of Architects (OAA)

2030 Gains Political Traction

Santa Barbara, CA, first in nation to adopt 2030 Challenge for all buildings: In 2007, the City of Santa Barbara, CA, took a historic step by passing an ordinance to become the first U.S. city to adopt the 2030 Challenge for all buildings within the city limits. The legislation seeks to reduce the fossil fuel standard for all new buildings in order to accomplish carbon neutrality by 2030. The ordinance will enact building regulations exceeding state standards for energy use by 20% for low-rise residential buildings, 15% for high-rise residential buildings and 10% for nonresidential buildings, among other measures.

Approximately 20 municipalities have followed Santa Barbara in adopting some form of the 2030 Challenge at the City or County level.

Legislation is currently pending at the State Level in 12 States to adopt various forms of the 2030 Challenge at the State Level

When it’s High Noon in American summers…

Many of our cities have this utterly-unenviable horror called

“double-90’s”… Temperature > 90o F Humidity > 90%Europe has no such honors (and asks that we NOT

export them to Europe)…

Our challenge is to COOL Buildings, not to HEAT them

Physics 101

It takes much more energy to deal with the water in the air than the

actual cooling of it

National Institute of Health Building 31,A Case Study

A NIH-QLBI Case Study in introducing innovative retrofit proposals that will both increase comfort & reduce energy loss

Issues with Building 31

Overheating in Summer Cold indoor temperatures in winter All Year: Freeze on North side of Building,

Roast on South Side of Building Poor air quality per NIH’s own standards !

The Causes of B-31s Problems

Large Single Glazed Window Areas NO shading devices, or shading Inefficient cooling system Large window areas, with poor thermal performance Hugh thermal bridges through concrete structure Inefficient heating system Mo fresh air ventilation system Single Thermostat for this 400,000 square foot

building

Some Problems & Some Solutions

Problem: Large Single Glazed Window Areas

Solution: Reduce Window area and improve thermal performance with triple glazed windows

Problem: No shading devices

Solution: Put shading louvers on east, south and west facades of the building

Problem: Hugh thermal bridging problem at concrete structure

Solution: Insulate thermal bridges

Some Problems & Some Solutions

Problem: Inefficient cooling & heating system & NO fresh air circulation

Solution: Change to efficient fresh-air-ventilation system to cool, heat and condition the air

Problem: Single thermostat for the entire building

Solution: WOW, that’s a tough one, this will require additional research and study – I’ll get back to you.

B-31 Retrofit Panel

Retrofit Procedure

Remove existing façade elements, grid by grid

Install panels grid by grid

Grid-by-grid process dramatically reduces number of people/offices that would need to be vacated at any given time in the process….

B-31, the Bottom Line

Total comfort and healthy conditions/air in all offices/areas of the entire complex

Significant reductions of expenditures for energy Perhaps reduction or even elimination of the huge current,

probably outmoded, central heating/cooling Ability to accomplish complete refurbishment by stages,

minimizing employee/office displacements Reasonable costs for totally-positive retrofit Transforming a problematic building into a “model” of

refurbishment Health, Comfort, Happiness of Employees Estimated pay back in Energy Costs = 7 Years

So, Let’s Summarize the Issues

ZEB is NOT an “all or nothing” concept You don’t have to be a tree hugger to embrace the

ZEB Concept, because it just makes economic sense

Political and Legislative Forces (i.e. 2030 challenge, Incentives & Rebates, LEED related legislation, etc.) will drive research and technology

You may do it for the dollars, but you just might be doing others some good in the process

Thank you for joining the revolution

For Additional Information, please contact

Wally Geer

at

go2wallyworld@hotmail.com