Paul Torcellini of the National Renewable Energy Labs (NREL) gave a presentation last year on net zero energy (NZE) buildings to folks from NYSERDA, the NY Department of Public Service, consultants, and others who buzz about in New York’s efficiency circles.
Ninety percent of the buildings that will be here in 2035 have already been built. Buildings account for almost 80 percent of energy used in cities worldwide. Energy researchers in the Northwest and Northeast are focused on the same goal: finding ways to achieve deep energy savings in these buildings.
Net zero energy describes buildings whose energy consumption and emissions are fully offset by renewable energy, preferably generated on site. True to their net zero name, they generate as much or more clean energy as they consume.
The new addition to Calvert High School in Prince Frederick, Md., celebrates the sun, inviting daylight into virtually every corner of its multi-use media center. The addition features huge skylights that are 31 to 41 ft above the floor, more than 35 ft long, and pitched at a 16-deg angle. The skylights span 17,000 sq ft.
