The New Math Net Zero Represents the Ideal in Energy-Efficient Buildings
By Caitlin Jones
1 min read
Tax Credit Advisors, January 2011: Some developers are putting the pedal to the metal when it comes to green building – aiming for “net zero” in designing and constructing new affordable multifamily housing projects.
Many new buildings today meet one or more green building rating standards, such as the LEED systems of the U.S. Green Building Council, or the Green Communities criteria of Enterprise Community Partners designed for affordable single-family and multifamily housing projects.
Net zero buildings stretch further, producing as much or more energy as consumed during the year. This happens by reducing a building’s energy needs as much as possible by making it more energy efficient, and then generating electricity on-site from a renewable energy source to cover the building’s remaining energy “load.” While there may be periods of time when the project draws power from the utility grid, this amount is matched or exceeded in the course of a year by the electricity produced on site.
