“Zero and Net-zero Energy Buildings + Homes,” a 64-page White Paper that proclaims “the next frontier in the green building movement,” will be the topic of a 1-hr Q&A with 6 “NZEB” experts at the AIA Conference + Expo, Friday, May 13, 11 a.m. to 12 noon, at the Morial Convention Center (Level 2, Room R06), New Orleans.
The 40,000-word report from Building Design+Construction provides a road map for the $350 billion design, construction, and real estate industry to develop “net-zero” buildings and homes that generate as much energy as they use, such as the new Research Support Facility at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, in Golden, Colo.
Robert Cassidy, BD+C’s editorial director, will moderate the discussion with the panel:
- Paul Torcellini, PE, PhD – U.S. Dept of Energy and National Renewable Energy Lab
- Tom Hootman, AIA, LEED AP – RNL Design (Research Support Facility design team)
- Philip Macey, AIA, LEED AP – Haselden Construction (Research Support Facility construction manager)
- Marc L’Italien, FAIA, LEED AP – EHDD Architecture (Exploratorium, Packard Foundation, and several other net-zero energy projects)
- Mary Ann Lazarus, FAIA, LEED AP – HOK (net-zero carbon prototype)
- David Eijadi, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C – The Weidt Group (environmental building consultant for Science House/Science Museum of Minn., net-zero carbon prototype)
Potential topics of discussion (questions from media representatives are welcome!):
- What did the experts learn from their NZEB experiences? What advice do they have for future NZEB designers, contractors, and building owners/developers?
- How do you measure and monitor the actual performance of NZEBs?
- What’s the “business case” for NZEBs? Do they make financial sense for owners?
- Is there a gulf between what the energy model predicts and actual outcome?
- What are the impediments – technical and otherwise – to producing NZEBs?
- What about net-zero energy (and net-zero carbon) for existing buildings?
The White Paper, along with seven previous reports devoted to green building, is available for free download at www.BDCnetwork.com/whitepapers.
The report was sponsored by Johnson Controls, Lafarge, North American Insulation Manufacturers Association, Sto Corp., and the U.S. General Services Administration.
Contact: Robert Cassidy, BD+C Editorial Director, rcassidy@sgcmail.com, 847-391-1040 office; 773-220-3555 mobile – Booth 142 at AIA
Related Stories
| Feb 10, 2011
Zero Energy Buildings: When Do They Pay Off in a Hot and Humid Climate?
There’s lots of talk about zero energy as the next big milestone in green building. Realistically, how close are we to this ambitious goal? At this point, the strategies required to get to zero energy are relatively expensive. Only a few buildings, most of them 6,000 sf or less, mostly located in California and similar moderate climates, have hit the mark. What about larger buildings, commercial buildings, more problematic climates? Given the constraints of current technology and the comfort demands of building users, is zero energy a worthwhile investment for buildings in, for example, a warm, humid climate?
| Feb 9, 2011
Fortune 1000: Despite moral obligation to sustainability, cash is still king
Eighty-eight percent of Fortune 1000 senior executives feel business has a moral responsibility, beyond regulatory requirements, to make their companies more energy efficient, according to a new poll released today by Harris Interactive and commissioned by Schneider Electric. At the same time, the vast majority (61%) of respondents say that potential cost savings are their biggest motivator to save energy at the enterprise-level, outranking environmental concerns (13%) or government regulations (2%).
| Feb 9, 2011
Businesses make bigger, bolder sustainability commitments
In 2010, U.S. corporations continued to enhance their sustainable business efforts by making bigger, bolder, longer-term sustainability commitments. GreenBiz issued its 4th annual State of Green Business report, a free downloadable report that measures the progress of U.S. business and the economy from an environmental perspective, and highlights key trends in corporate culture in regard to the environment.
| Feb 7, 2011
President Obama cites PPG glass, coatings in Penn State speech
President Barack Obama yesterday acknowledged PPG Industries as a leader in the development of high-performance glass and coatings for energy-efficient buildings during a visit to Penn State University that kicked off the U.S. government’s “Better Buildings Initiative.’
| Feb 7, 2011
GSA Unveils New Sustainable Workplace Design Tool
The U.S. General Services Administration launched its Sustainable Facilities Tool on Monday, Feb. 7. The innovative online tool will make it easier for both government and private-sector property managers and developers to learn about and evaluate strategies to make workplaces more sustainable, helping to build and create jobs in America’s clean energy economy of the future.
| Feb 4, 2011
U.S. Green Building Council applauds President Obama’s Green Building Initiative
The U.S. Green Building Council applauded a key element of President Obama’s plan to “win the future” by making America’s commercial buildings more energy- and resource-efficient over the next decade. The President’s plan, entitled Better Buildings Initiative, catalyzes private-sector investment through a series of incentives to upgrade offices, stores, schools and universities, hospitals and other commercial and municipal buildings.
| Feb 4, 2011
President Obama: 20% improvement in energy efficiency will save $40 billion
President Obama’s Better Buildings Initiative, announced February 3, 2011, aims to achieve a 20% improvement in energy efficiency in commercial buildings by 2020, improvements that will save American businesses $40 billion a year.
| Jan 25, 2011
Bloomberg launches NYC Urban Tech Innovation Center
To promote the development and commercialization of green building technologies in New York City, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has launched the NYC Urban Technology Innovation Center. This initiative will connect academic institutions conducting underlying research, companies creating the associated products, and building owners who will use those technologies.
| Jan 25, 2011
Sherwin-Williams Zero-VOC Claim Misleading, Says BBB
In a move that could prompt industry-wide changes to claims about volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the Better Business Bureau’s National Advertising Division (NAD) has told Sherwin-Williams it should stop marketing its Harmony line of paints as “zero-VOC.” Sherwin-Williams said it will accept NAD’s decision and will take the findings into consideration in its future advertising.
