Zero Energy Construction Crosses the Ocean. New York Times 12/4/11

The NYT article (link below) is interesting for a few particular messages:

1. The differential cost between standard construction and zero energy construction is higher in the US because the standard is cheaper (and lousier one might say, i.e. the base code requirements are lower)

2. The much lower cost of energy in the US makes it more difficult to amortize the extra cost for energy efficiency

3. Many of the products and technologies needed for energy efficient construction are not available in the US. This is a particular issue for government funded projects with a "Buy USA" requirement. It also drives cost up and uses energy for distant transport. 

The new ASHRAE standard and strengthened LEED requirements for energy should take of item 1. For item 2 we need higher taxes on energy so that higher cost is coupled with a public benefit instead of just profits for energy and oil.
Item 3 will take care of itself once the other two are in effect.

New York Times Article

USA
Canada
Germany (deutsch)

Example: Oberlin College

Adam Joseph Lewis Center for Environmental Studies--Oberlin College (Oberlin College Lewis Center)

Photo credit: John Petersen, Oberlin College Overview Location: Oberlin, OH Building type(s): Campus, Higher education, Library, Assembly New construction 13,600 ft2 (1,260 m2) Project scope: 2-story building Other setting Completed January 2000 Although the building opened for classes in 2000, modifications continue as the energy performance of the building is studied and is better understood. The building is part of an academic program and consequently has experimental aspects to it that are being evaluated. In addition, improvements will be made as new technologies become available. Rating: Green Building Challenge Rating: Zero Energy Building The Adam Joseph Lewis Center for Environmental Studies is located on the Oberlin College campus in Oberlin, Ohio. It houses classroom and office space, an auditorium, a small environmental studies library and resource center, a wastewater-purification system in a greenhouse, and an open atrium. Zero Energy Building The Lewis Center is an all electric building and was designed with maximum energy efficiency in mind. The Lewis Center generates its own on-site electricity through a roof mounted 60 kW photovoltaic (PV) system and a 100 kW PV system located over the parking lot. Because of this, it is a net zero energy building (ZEB). Specifically, the Lewis Center is a: Site ZEB: Building produces at least as much energy as it uses in a year, when accounted for at the site. The Lewis Center is an all electric building that produces all energy on-site using PV. Source ZEB: Building produces at least as much energy as it uses in a year, when accounted for at the source. Because the Lewis Center is an all electric site ZEB it also qualifies as a source ZEB. Emissions ZEB: Building produces at least as much emissions-free renewable energy as it uses from emission-producing energy sources annually. The Lewis Center offsets any emissions for which it is responsible through its PV system which produces electricity with zero emissions. Environmental Aspects Upon initiation of the project, Professor David Orr asked three questions that continue to serve as a guiding philosophy for the Lewis Center: Is it possible—even in Ohio—to power buildings by current sunlight? Is it possible to create buildings that purify their own wastewater? Is it possible to build without compromising human or environmental health somewhere else or at some later time?

Background: (from http://zeb.buildinggreen.com/overview.

 Net Zero Energy Buildings

By Amanda Magee, PE
Steven Winter Associates, Inc.

Last updated: 07-26-2011

Within This Page

• Introduction
• Description
• Application
• Relevant Codes and Standards
• Additional Resources

Introduction

Amid growing concerns about rising energy prices, energy independence, and the impact of climate change, statistics show buildings to be the primary energy consumer in the U.S. This fact underscores the importance of targeting building energy use as a key to decreasing the nation's energy consumption. The building sector can significantly reduce energy use by incorporating energy-efficient strategies into the design, construction, and operation of new buildings and undertaking retrofits to improve the efficiency of existing buildings. It can further reduce dependence on fossil fuel derived energy by increasing use of on-site and off-site renewable energy sources.
The concept of a Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB), one which produces as much energy as it uses over the course of a year, recently has been evolving from research to reality. Currently, there are only a small number of highly efficient buildings that meet the criteria to be called "Net Zero". As a result of advances in construction technologies, renewable energy systems, and academic research, creating Net Zero Energy buildings is becoming more and more feasible.
While the exact definitions of metrics for "net zero energy" vary (this is discussed below), most agree that Net Zero Energy Buildings combine:

• Exemplary building design to minimize energy requirements
• Renewable energy systems that meet these reduced energy needs.

Description

Definitions

As the "zero energy" and "net zero energy" concepts are relatively new, there are not yet definitive, widely accepted zero-energy metrics. The Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have spearheaded much of the work on net zero energy buildings to date. NREL presents several definitions for "net zero energy", and they encourage building designers, owners, and operators to select the metric that best fits their project. The NREL publication Zero Energy Buildings: A Critical Look at the Definition (PDF 477 KB) explores definitions in detail, and it suggests four ways in which net zero energy may be defined:

Net Zero Site Energy

Net Zero Source Energy

Net Zero Energy Costs

Net Zero Energy Emissions

Site Energy refers to the energy consumed and generated at a site (e.g. a building), regardless of where or how that energy originated. In a net zero site energy building, for every unit of energy the building consumes over a year, it must generate a unit of energy.
Source Energy refers to primary energy needed to extract and deliver energy to a site, including the energy that may be lost or wasted in the process of generation, transmission and distribution. For example, a coal-burning power plant may generate 1 Joule of electricity for every 3 Joules of energy in the coal consumed. If natural gas is used at a site, for every 20 Joules consumed, 1 Joule may be needed to extract and distribute the gas to the site. Metrics for net zero source energy buildings account for these factors, though exact metrics can vary depending on site and utility factors.
Net Zero Energy Cost is perhaps the simplest metric to use: it means that the building has an energy utility bill of $0 over the course of a year. In some cases, building owners or operators may take advantage of selling Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) from on-site renewable generation.
Many conventional energy sources result in emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, etc. A Net Zero Energy Emissions building either uses no energy which results in emissions or offsets the emissions by exporting emissions-free energy (typically from on-site renewable energy systems).