The DOE Building Technologies Office awarded its first-ever Zero Energy Design Designation (ZEDD) to 17 leading educational programs of study at 12 institutions around the world in 2022. In 2023, 22 more programs from 14 institutions were recognized. These schools have excelled at preparing tomorrow’s leaders to design and build the most sustainable buildings possible.
DOE’s Zero Energy Design Designation program distinguishes post-secondary academic programs that teach best practices of zero energy design and require students to apply those concepts in zero energy design projects. The designation lasts for three years, after which programs may apply to renew.
2023 ZEDD Cohort
Announced by DOE in September 2023
- Drexel University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
- Bachelor of Architecture
- Marywood University (Scranton, Pennsylvania)
- Bachelor of Architecture
- Bachelor of Environmental Design in Architecture
- Bachelor of Interior Architecture
- New York City College of Technology (Brooklyn, New York.)
- Bachelor of Architectural Technology
- Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, Oklahoma)
- Master of Interior Design with Zero Energy Concentration
- Bachelor of Interior Design with Zero Energy Concentration
- Texas A&M University (College Station, Texas)
- Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering
- University of Arizona (Tucson, Arizona)
- Bachelor of Architecture with Zero Energy Concentration
- University of California, Riverside (Riverside, California)
- Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with General Mechanical Engineering Concentration
- Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with an Energy/Environment Concentration
- Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a Design/Manufacturing Concentration
- University of Colorado Denver (Denver, Colorado)
- Zero Energy Systems Track for Master of Architecture
- University of Florida (Gainesville, Florida)
- Bachelor of Science in STEM, Sustainability in the Built Environment LEED Lab
- University of Miami (Coral Gables, Florida)
- Bachelor of Architecture
- Master of Architecture
- Net Zero Energy Certificate Program
- University of Southern California (Los Angeles, California)
- Master of Building of Science
- Virginia Tech University (Blacksburg, Virginia)
- Bachelor of Science of Building Construction
- Washington State University (Pullman, Washington)
- Energy Conscious Construction Undergraduate Certificate Program
- Energy Conscious Construction Graduate Certificate Program
- Weber State University (Ogden, Utah)
- Bachelor of Architectural Design
2022 ZEDD Cohort
Announced by DOE in September 2022
- Appalachian State University (Boone, North Carolina) - August 2022
- Master of Science in Technology with a Sustainable Building Design and Construction Concentration
- Bachelor of Science in Building Sciences with a Sustainable Buildings Concentration
- Ball State University (Muncie, Indiana) - August 2022
- Bachelor of Architecture
- Master of Architecture
- Hawkeye Community College (Waterloo, Iowa) - August 2022
- Sustainable Construction and Design Program
- Howard University (Washington, D.C.) - August 2022
- Master of Architecture with an Equitable High-Performance Energy Design Concentration
- Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago, Illinois) - August 2022
- Master of Engineering in Architectural Engineering
- Master of High Performance Buildings
- Myongji University (Seoul, South Korea) - August 2022
- Zero Energy Design Certificate for Bachelor of Architecture, College of Architecture
- Zero Energy Design Certificate for Bachelor of Traditional Architecture
- Zero Energy Design Certificate for Bachelor of Space Design
- The Catholic University of America (Washington, D.C.) - August 2022
- Master of Science in Net Zero Design/Master of Architecture Joint Degree
- University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, Ohio) - August 2022
- Net Zero Energy Design Track in the Architectural Engineering Program
- University of Colorado, Boulder (Boulder, Colorado) - August 2022
- Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering
- University of Missouri (Columbia, Missouri) - August 2022
- Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies
- Vermont State University (Randolph Center, Vermont) - August 2022
- Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering Technology
- Western Washington University (Bellingham, Washington) - August 2022
- Bachelor of Science in Energy, Science, and Technology - Net Zero Energy Design Track
To prepare for the 2024 application, please review the instructions and checklist from 2023, and check the ZEDD homepage soon for information about the 2024 application process. Email ZEDD@nrel.gov with questions.