Zero Energy Building.docx

Most buildings today use a lot of energy, to keep the lights on, cool the air, heat water, and power personal devices, even installing solar systems will not significantly counter the heavy energy load, there are however some buildings that strike a balance, or even tip the scales the other way, these are called zero energy buildings. they manage this feed by being extremely energy efficient, saving 50 to 70 percent more energy than typical buildings. in these ultra-high performance buildings the amount of energy use can be completely offset by renewable energy produced on or around the building, when conditions are not suitable for energy generation, the building will draw energy from the electrical grid to meet its needs, when conditions improve the on-site renewable energy systems will cover the building's energy need and send excess energy back into the grid to make up the balance , over the course of a year the building gives back as much energy as it takes , when zero energy concepts are applied to groups of buildings the benefits are shared and multiplied within that 0 energy community , these buildings are also more comfortable , more reliable , affordable to build and operate , and better for the environment , while these might seem like buildings of the future , new technologies are constantly emerging that make zero energy easier and easier to achieve today , in fact there are already hundreds of zero-energy buildings across the u.s. and many different climates, by becoming ultra-efficient and giving back as much energy as they consume, zero energy buildings will play an important part in creating a more competitive energy secure future

Advantages of zero energy buildings are: Isolation for building owners from future energy price increases. Increased comfort due to more uniform interior temperatures. Reduced requirement for energy austerity. Reduced total cost of ownership due to improved energy efficiency.

Extra cost is minimized for new construction compared to an afterthought retrofit. Higher resale value as potential owners demand more zero energy buildings s than available supply. Disadvantages of zero energy buildings are: Initial costs can be higher – effort required to understand, apply and qualify for zero energy buildings subsidies. Very few designers or builders have the necessary skills or experience to build zero energy buildings Possible declines in future utility company renewable energy costs may lessen the value of capital invested in energy efficiency. Challenge to recover higher initial costs on resale of building, but new energy rating systems are being introduced gradually. While the individual house may use an average of net zero energy over a year, it may demand energy at the time when peak demand for the grid occurs. In such a case, the capacity of the grid must still provide electricity to all loads. Therefore, a zero energy buildings may not reduce the required power plant capacity. Without an optimized thermal envelope the embodied energy, heating and cooling energy and resource usage is higher than needed. zero energy buildings by definition do not mandate a minimum heating and cooling performance level thus allowing oversized renewable energy systems to fill the energy gap.

Steps to zero energy building https://zeroenergyproject.org/build/twelve-steps-affordable-zero-energyhome-construction-design/

CONCLUSION

Wide acceptance of zero energy building technology may require more government incentives or building code regulations, the development of recognized standards, or significant increases in the cost of conventional energy. The zero energy building concept has been a progressive evaluation from other low energy building designs. Among these,the Canadian R-2000 and the German passive house standards have been internationally influential. India’s first net zero building is Indira Paryavaran Bhawan, located in New Delhi. Using standard building techniques and energy cost modelling, zero energy homes can be very affordable to build. .