Lead Performer: National Renewable Energy Laboratory – Golden, CO
April 8, 2019
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Lead Performer: National Renewable Energy Laboratory – Golden, CO
Partners:
-- The American Institute of Architects (AIA) – Washington, DC
-- The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) – Atlanta, GA
-- U.S. Green Building Council (USBGC) – Washington, DC
-- Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) – New York, NY
-- Rocky Mountain Institute – Basalt, CO
-- Eco-Districts – Portland, OR
-- Xcel – Minneapolis, MN
-- New Buildings Institute (NBI) – Portland, OR
-- National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) – Arlington, VA
-- Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP) – Lexington, MA
-- Southern California Edison – Rosemead, CA
-- TEC
-- ALE
-- NEED
-- Multiple schools and school districts
FY19 DOE Funding: $494,000
Project Term: October 1, 2017 – September 30, 2019
Funding Type: Lab Award
Project Objective
While increasing numbers of commercial zero energy buildings are being built cost-effectively, there are still barriers to their widespread adoption including perceived cost premiums, lack of knowledge, inertia, and workforce. BTO research and development efforts will work to accelerate the creation of buildings that are zero energy ready by addressing those barriers.
The project team will do the following:
- Perform analytical and empirical research on how to optimally prioritize and integrate technologies and buildings systems to achieve zero energy ready status
- Research balancing investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy to achieve cost savings and other goals
- Develop metrics to quantify and document ultra-high energy-efficiency performance for key building types
- Determine critical factors that can assist in building load flexibility and grid responsiveness
- Create a critical mass of nationally available architects, engineers, and tradespeople skilled in the design, construction, and operation of zero energy buildings and districts
This project will result in four major outcomes. First, multiple Advanced Energy Design Guides on zero energy buildings of various types will be developed including modeling approaches, analytics, and case studies to bolster industry led, grid integrated, next-generation building design. Modeling approaches for multiple buildings aggregated at the district scale will also be developed that consider grid-responsive technologies and strategies. Two industry partnership programs for K-12 schools and zero energy districts will be continued to demonstrate and accelerate investments in achieving zero energy, and further understand research and development needs to move these markets. Lastly, zero energy ready training modules will be developed as a learning tool for the zero energy workforce and offered as continuing education by participating industry partners.
Project Impact
This project will help facilitate more comprehensive approaches to cost-effectively achieving advance energy buildings and districts and enable private sector entities to more easily and effectively implement best practices through tools and analytics, shared solutions and resources, and workforce training.
Contacts
DOE Technology Manager: Sarah Zaleski
Lead Performer: Rois Langner, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Related Publications
Zero Energy Building Definition
Advanced Energy Design Guide for K-12 School Buildings: Achieving Zero Energy
Communities of the Future: Accelerating Zero Energy District Master Planning