Valerie Eacret, ERS, for Zondits A number of leaders of industry associations and the NRDC together penned a letter to the Commissioners of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the California Energy Commission (CEC) to voice their concerns over California’s prospects of meeting its Zero Net Energy (ZNE) goal for new homes by 2020. … Read more
Ask the Expert: What’s the difference between “net-zero” and “carbon-neutral” in relation to buildings and efficiency? Ryan Pollin, ERS, for Zondits There are many different but nearly synonymous terms for buildings, campuses, and communities going in the general direction of net zero. Per the Department of Energy, the best term is a zero energy building (ZEB). This is … Read more
HOW BUILDERS ARE MEETING THE CALL FOR NET ZERO ENERGY HOMES Builder, November 9, 2016 With energy codes becoming more stringent in many states, Myers and Thrive are at the vanguard of a growing group of regional and national production builders who are building highly efficient, zero energy ready homes—meaning they’re wired for photovoltaic panels, … Read more
Revell Retrofit Northhampton, MA Zero Energy Project Case Study This renovation transformed this building from an energy guzzler to a resilient and healthy spacious 2-family, designed to use less energy than it produces. Careful planning resulted in high efficiency of the building envelop, of the heating, cooling and ventilation systems. The solar panels provide the … Read more
Habitat for Humanity gains recognition for its homes Hickory Record, June 4, 2016 Two Habitat for Humanity homes in Catawba County have been recognized for their energy efficiency by the U.S. Department of Energy. The two homes in the Northstone community off Falling Creek Road were certified as Zero Energy Ready Homes in May, the … Read more
Presented at the AESP 26th National Conference on February 3, 2016 Ari Michelson, Brian McCowan, Frances Chase, ERS Building energy codes in the U.S. have come a long way in the past three decades, increasing in complexity along the way. This is especially true for the commercial building sector, where codes have rapidly transitioned from … Read more
Lisa Markowski for Zondits, January 24, 2016. Image credit: Earth Dispatch Hampshire College, a liberal arts school known for its innovative learning structure, is on to something else interesting. Its new campus center building has been designed with net zero energy (NZE) heating, cooling, water gathering, and self-sustained wastewater treatment systems that are expected to … Read more