Last month, the Department of Energy (DoE) announced a federal definition of a “Zero Emissions Building” (ZEB).

Handel Architects, alongside dozen others have advocated for this definition. A clear definition is critical as it offers a consistent target that can be referenced by public and private organizations alike. If we are all working toward the same goal we can more efficiently develop solutions to get there. Eight building certification programs, including LEED, have announced they will adopt the definition in future versions.

Read the Zero Emissions Building definition and you’ll find it is based on the following simple criteria:

1. Energy efficiency
2. Zero on-site emissions from energy use (i.e. no combustion on site, so all-electric)
3. Powered solely from clean energy (on or offsite acceptable)

As architects our work is critical toward bullet points 1 & 2.

This Case Study for Harmony Commons demonstrates that designing high-performance facades, considering passive solar benefits, and coordinating low-energy systems have massive paybacks when it comes to energy demand. AND the lower the energy demand, the easier a building is to electrify and the more cost-effective it is for our clients to purchase that electricity form renewable sources.

The current proposed definition is silent on several important issues including refrigerants, embodied carbon, and grid interactivity, but DoE has noted that those will be included in future versions.