Wally Geer - Net Zero Energy Presentation for CCSE - to be presented July 30, 2009

1. Welcome to
NET ZERO ENERGY BUILDINGS
.

2. Some Special Thanks to:
 California Center for Sustainable Energy
 U.S. Green Building Council
 National Association of Home Builder’s Research
Center
 California Solar / Wayne Pendrey
 Jack L. Gosnell, PhD
 Derry Scully, Dublin
 University College of Dublin
 MosArt Architects, Dublin

3. ZERO ENERGY BUILDINGS
What is a “Zero Energy Building” ?
There is NO one definition of a ZEB
There is NO U.S. national or international
standard that defines a ZEB
Some European Countries have established
their own ZEB National Standards and the EU
is currently working on a universal EU
Standard

4. The Definition of a ZEB varies greatly based
upon the priorities and metrics of:
 Total Carbon Emissions
 Amount of “Grid Dependence”
 Dependence on Fossil Fuels
 Off Site Energy Consumption during the
building’s construction

5. Some ZEB Concepts & Buzz Words:
 Net Zero SITE Energy Use
 Net Zero SOURCE Energy Use
 Net Zero Energy Emissions
 Net Zero Cost
 Net OFF SITE Zero Energy Use
 Off the Grid
 Cradle to Cradle Net Zero Energy Building

6. A Brief History of Net Zero Energy
 Early attempts at ZEBs started in the late 1970s and early
1980s in the U.S. and Europe
 Academic and Industry Research started in the 1990s due to
U.S. & European Energy Standards :
 In the U.S.:
– Energy Star
– LEED
– Green Point Rated Homes
 In Europe:
– Minergie Standard (Switzerland)
– Passivehaus (Germany)
– National Home Energy Rating System (U.K.)

7. What Makes an ZEB Building ?
 Site Selection & Orientation
 Passive Solar Design
 Building Envelope Design & Construction
 Integration of Low Energy Consumption
Systems
 Active Energy Systems

8. When Analyzing ZEB Opportunities:
Think “Passive” First
& “Active” Second !!

9. Site Selection:
 Solar Orientation
 Historic Wind Patterns Orientation
 Geothermal Opportunities
 Topography
 Potential Mitigation of “Heat Island” Effect
 Landscaping Opportunities

10. Solar
Orientation

11. Historic Wind Patterns Orientation

12. Geothermal
Opportunities

13. Topography

14. Potential to Mitigate “Heat Island” Effect
.

15. Landscaping Opportunities

16. Why Should We Build ZEBs ?

17. Peak Oil .

18. .Energy is Used in three main areas of life
Manufacturing
Transportation
Heating & Cooling & Lighting of
Buildings

19. .
But only ONE of those, which happens to be
the largest (42-56% of world energy by
various estimates)
Can be reduced to ZERO

20. .
And that is, of course…
 Heating, Cooling & Lighting of Buildings

21. Welcome to the Revolution!
In 1947, Scientists at Bell Laboratories invented the transistor, a device
that was, in comparison to vacuum tubes:
 More efficient
 Much smaller, compact
 Longer lasting
 Better in every way except, initially, capacity, and
even that characteristic improved
 Less expensive
 Instant acting
 Shake & Shock resistant

22. So what Revolution…
… are We Plotting?
One perhaps as fundamental as the
electronics/communications revolution….
Prediction: by 2020, the ways in which most
of the buildings on earth are constructed
will be as different from current
conventional methods as transistors and
chips are different from vacuum tubes….

23. Time for Energy Independence for
All of America’s Buildings?
It’s already High Noon

24. Our Revolution in Construction
By 2020, Construction of Buildings in America and Around the World will
be fundamentally different in:
 Insulation
 Heat/Cold Retention
 Circulation/Ventilation
 Water Usage/Purity of Effluents
 Cleanliness/Freshness of Air
 Health Aspects
 Sound-Proofness
ABILITY TO OPERATE
ENERGY-INDEPENDENTLY

25. What are Signals for the Revolution?
 LEED – which, in America, is addressing the
large part of the total set of environmental
and energy issues in building and
construction
 The 2030 Challenge
 Passive Standard – which, in Europe, is
rapidly becoming pan-European CODE

26. Europe’s Passive Haus’ (P.H.)
Standard
A Passive House is any building in which a
comfortable interior climate can be
maintained without active heating and
cooling systems
The building heats and cools itself, hence
passive...

27. How does a Passive House Building
Work ?

28. First Certified P.H. in Ireland
This House generates 87% of its own energy

29. Example of Air Ventilation & Heating

30. Fully integrated design strategies
dramatically reduce energy consumption

31. 100% ZEB Home in Ireland

32. .

34. “Quality of Life” Buildings
Term ‘Passive House’ sounds, perhaps, on this
side of the Atlantic...
…a little too passive!!
What a P.H. really does
is provide highest
‘Quality of Life Buildings’
or ‘QLB’ for short

35. Advantages of
‘Quality of Life Building’ (QLB) Standard
 Running costs: very low (or even none!)
 Comfort: High
 Working/living environment: Healthy
 Buildings: Bright, Airy
 Energy needs: Future-proofed
 Building life: Prolonged
 Sound proofing: Excellent
 LEED Certification: Excellent (Platinum Plus is
possible)

36. Europe,
which had its First Passive-Standard Home Only 10
Years Ago…
 Now has over 10,000 of them!
 Most are homes.
 There are also many larger buildings: apartment
buildings, offices, churches, schools…
 Unfortunately we assembled here mostly photos of
larger buildings…
 Passive Standard do NOT limit appearance of a
home or building…

37. ZEB Office Building in Austria
Generates 90% of its’ Own Energy
Requirements

38. Church in Austria
That Thinks it’s a Power Plant !

39. Manufacturing facility in Austria that
requires NO Electrical Lighting

40. Community Center in Austria that is a
100% ZEB Building

41. Montessori School, Germany
100% Fresh Air Change, 4 times per hour
100% Natural Lighting
Students Test Scores improved 12% to 15% upon relocating to
this School upon its’ completion

42. Retrofitting to PH
and ZEB Standards

43. Our Bottom line ($$$)…
… is the bottom line….
How Much does all this high-
spec build cost?
&
What happens to
Running Costs?

44. Cost Comparison Construction Costs of a 50% ZEB
Office Building, Kiel, Germany
(Building Shell _ Tenant Improvements - Converted to U.S. Dollars)
Conventional Sustainable Difference
Frame 48.28 53.82 11.46%
Envelope 83.65 101.27 21.06%
Roof 15.20 15.11 -0.58%
Walls/Doors 12.78 12.90 0.95%
Finishes 33.48 32.24 -3.70%
Services 92.18 86.64 -6.01%
Siteworks 7.04 7.02 -0.37%
TOTALS 292.62 309.00 5.60%

45. Energy Savings
Office Building Type Energy
Conventional 25 KWH/ft2
/year
Sustainable 10 KWH/ft2
/year
Savings 15 KWH/ft2
/year
For a 250,000 Office Building,
that’s a Savings of over
$350,000 per year

46. Test
Some Documented
Success Stories &
Facts
20%
BETTER TEST
PERFORMANCE
SCHOOLS
EARLIER
DISCHARGE
HOSPITALS
INCREASED
PRODUCTION
FACTORIES
2-16%
PRODUCTIVITY
INCREASE
OFFICES
INCREASE
IN SALES PER
SQUARE FOOT
RETAIL

47. We’re in California, USA…
…so that’s enough
About Europe …

48. What’s up in the good old U.S.A. ?
 U.S.G.B.C. LEEDs Programs and
Certifications
 The 2030 Challenge
 Developers in search of a better Bottom Line

49. The 2030 Challenge
 The 2030 Challenge asking the global architecture and building community to adopt the
following targets:
 All new buildings, developments and major renovations shall be designed to meet a fossil
fuel, GHG-emitting, energy consumption performance standard of 50% of the regional (or
country) average for that building type.
 At a minimum, an equal amount of existing building area shall be renovated annually to
meet a fossil fuel, GHG-emitting, energy consumption performance standard of 50% of the
regional (or country) average for that building type.
 The fossil fuel reduction standard for all new buildings and major renovations shall be
increased to:
– 60% in 2010
70% in 2015
80% in 2020
90% in 2025
Carbon-neutral in 2030 (using no fossil fuel GHG emitting energy to operate).
 These targets may be accomplished by implementing innovative sustainable design
strategies, generating on-site renewable power and/or purchasing (20% maximum)
renewable energy and/or certified renewable energy credits.

50. Who’s on Board ?
The American Institute of Architects (AIA)
US Green Building Council (USGBC)
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
Royal Architecture Institute of Canada (RAIC)
County of Sarasota, FL
State of New Mexico (Governor Bill Richardson)
City of Santa Fe, NM
Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI)
Environment America
International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI)
World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA/Target Finder)
American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
National Wildlife Federation (NWF)
Society of Building Science Educators (SBSE)
AIA Committee on the Environment (AIA/COTE)
Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA)
Union Internationale des Architectes (UIA)
American Solar Energy Society (ASES)
American Society of Interior Designers (ASID)
Cascadia Region Green Building Council
Ontario Association of Architects (OAA)

51. 2030 Gains Political Traction
Santa Barbara, CA, first in nation to adopt 2030 Challenge for all
buildings: In 2007, the City of Santa Barbara, CA, took a historic step
by passing an ordinance to become the first U.S. city to adopt the 2030
Challenge for all buildings within the city limits. The legislation seeks to
reduce the fossil fuel standard for all new buildings in order to
accomplish carbon neutrality by 2030. The ordinance will enact
building regulations exceeding state standards for energy use by 20%
for low-rise residential buildings, 15% for high-rise residential buildings
and 10% for nonresidential buildings, among other measures.
Approximately 20 municipalities have followed Santa Barbara in adopting
some form of the 2030 Challenge at the City or County level.
Legislation is currently pending at the State Level in 12 States to adopt
various forms of the 2030 Challenge at the State Level

52. When it’s High Noon
in American summers…
Many of our cities have this utterly-unenviable horror
called
“double-90’s”…
 Temperature > 90o
F
 Humidity > 90%
Europe has no such honors (and asks that we NOT
export them to Europe)…
Our challenge is to COOL Buildings,
not to HEAT them

53. Physics 101
It takes much more energy to deal
with the water in the air than the
actual cooling of it

54. National Institute of Health
Building 31,
A Case Study
A NIH-QLBI Case Study in introducing
innovative retrofit proposals that will both
increase comfort & reduce energy loss

55. Issues with Building 31
 Overheating in Summer
 Cold indoor temperatures in winter
 All Year: Freeze on North side of Building,
Roast on South Side of Building
 Poor air quality per NIH’s own standards !

56. The Causes of B-31s Problems
 Large Single Glazed Window Areas
 NO shading devices, or shading
 Inefficient cooling system
 Large window areas, with poor thermal performance
 Hugh thermal bridges through concrete structure
 Inefficient heating system
 Mo fresh air ventilation system
 Single Thermostat for this 400,000 square foot
building

57. Some Problems & Some Solutions
Problem: Large Single Glazed Window Areas
Solution: Reduce Window area and improve thermal performance with
triple glazed windows
Problem: No shading devices
Solution: Put shading louvers on east, south and west facades of the
building
Problem: Hugh thermal bridging problem at concrete structure
Solution: Insulate thermal bridges

58. Some Problems & Some Solutions
Problem: Inefficient cooling & heating system & NO fresh air circulation
Solution: Change to efficient fresh-air-ventilation system to cool, heat and
condition the air
Problem: Single thermostat for the entire building
Solution: WOW, that’s a tough one, this will require additional research
and study – I’ll get back to you.

59. B-31 Retrofit Panel

60. Retrofit Procedure
Remove existing façade elements,
grid by grid
Install panels grid by grid
Grid-by-grid process dramatically reduces number of
people/offices that would need to be vacated at any given
time in the process….

61. B-31, the Bottom Line
 Total comfort and healthy conditions/air in all offices/areas
of the entire complex
 Significant reductions of expenditures for energy
 Perhaps reduction or even elimination of the huge current,
probably outmoded, central heating/cooling
 Ability to accomplish complete refurbishment by stages,
minimizing employee/office displacements
 Reasonable costs for totally-positive retrofit
 Transforming a problematic building into a “model” of
refurbishment
 Health, Comfort, Happiness of Employees
 Estimated pay back in Energy Costs = 7 Years

62. So, Let’s Summarize the Issues
 ZEB is NOT an “all or nothing” concept
 You don’t have to be a tree hugger to embrace the
ZEB Concept, because it just makes economic
sense
 Political and Legislative Forces (i.e. 2030 challenge,
Incentives & Rebates, LEED related legislation, etc.)
will drive research and technology
 You may do it for the dollars, but
you just might be doing others
some good in the process

63. Thank you for joining the revolution
For Additional Information, please contact
Wally Geer
at
go2wallyworld@hotmail.com