Commercial buildings using only as much energy as they produce from sustainable sources are growing in number, boosted by various financing and incentive mechanisms.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
Any building can achieve zero energy by balancing energy consumption and production, according to Carmel Pratt, director of new construction with Bright Power, a New York City-based energy and water management services provider.
Properties particularly well-suited to achieving net-zero balance are ultra-low-energy-consuming buildings that typically have higher performance thermal-enclosure systems, high-efficiency MEP systems and on-site renewable energy generation, Pratt noted.
Zero energy can be achieved more readily in new-construction buildings where designers enjoy a blank canvas, without the existing conditions presented in a renovation scenario. Even a particularly challenging existing building can achieve net-zero energy with the right design methods and construction practices.
“Achieving net-zero energy use in building renovations is particularly important in regards to the topic of embodied carbon—an urgent and equally critical component of the building sector’s impact on greenhouse gas emissions and climate change,” Pratt added.
Read the full article on Commerical Property Executive’s website.
