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A pathway for net-zero energy buildings: creating a case for zero cost increase
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2014
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EngineeringEnergy-efficient DesignEnergy EfficiencyZero-energy BuildingGreen BuildingBuilding Energy ConservationSustainable DesignNet-zero EconomyZeb DesignCost EngineeringZero Cost IncreaseNet-zero Energy BuildingsLow Energy ArchitectureBuilding EnvelopesDesignSustainable BuildingZeb EconomicsBuilding EnergyConstruction OperationsEnergy BuildingsLow-energy HouseEnergy ManagementSustainable EnergyEnergy TransitionConstruction ManagementEnergy Economics
AbstractTo have market relevance and gain widespread market adoption, zero energy buildings (ZEBs) will need to be designed and constructed cost-effectively, and preferably without additional costs. An approach was developed to create low-energy buildings without additional construction costs such that it yielded innovation in building technology and integration by the market. A case study of the implementation of this method is presented to provide a data point that ZEBs can be built with zero cost increase. Documenting cost-control best practices and packaging those strategies for adoption by the commercial building sector will help make the business case for ZEBs for mainstream construction and promote market uptake of the innovative technologies and design approaches needed. The holistic implementation of cost-control strategies will enable ZEBs to be designed and constructed on a typical budget. The current state of ZEB economics is evaluated and a path forward is proposed for greater market penetration of ZEBs. By demonstrating how to combine ZEB technologies and design approaches into an overall efficiency package that can be implemented at minimal (zero, in certain cases) incremental capital cost, the domain of ZEB design and construction can be expanded from a niche market to the commercial construction mainstream.Keywords: costenergy efficiencynet-zeropassive designproject managementsustainable designsystems approach AcknowledgementsThe submitted manuscript has been offered by an employee of the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC (Alliance), a contractor of the US Government under Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308. Accordingly, the US Government and Alliance retain a nonexclusive royalty-free license to publish or reproduce the published form of this contribution, or allow others to do so, for US Government purposes.