Click here for coverage from Navigant on California’s leadership in the move to zero net energy (ZNE) – including the first ZNE community in Fontana, U.S. DOE/state alignment on ZNE, a new database from the New Buildings Institute (NBI) to track ZNE construction, and a new integrated design ZNE study conducted on behalf of the CPUC and the state’s investor-owned utilities (IOUs). An excerpt on state commercial building progress from Navigant is below:
By 2025, Navigant Research estimates that California’s commercial square footage of new ZNE projects will reach 23,704,000 SF, or 7% of the commercial building stock, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 49% from 2014. Based on Navigant Research’s Zero Energy Buildings report, the number of ZNE buildings is expected to grow, while square footage of individual ZNE projects is anticipated to decrease between 2014 and 2025, due to the increasing relative ease of reaching ZNE status in smaller buildings in the next decade.
California Market Perception of ZNE and Integrated Design Concepts
On behalf of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and California investor-owned utilities (IOUs), Navigant Consulting recently conducted the Measure, Application, Segment, Industry: Integrated Design for New Construction Buildings study. It reports on the results of a survey of California Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) firms in order to understand how the current market perceives and understands ZNE and integrated design (ID) concepts. The survey revealed the following:
- Although defined at the national and state levels, no market consensus exists as to what constitutes a ZNE building or the implementation of ID.
- AEC firms are aware of energy efficiency and renewable energy IOU programs, but their depth of understanding regarding options for offsetting consumption via renewable power is limited.
- AEC firms that operate in California may not be well-informed as to ZNE and ID resources provided by IOU programs.
- Rebates are very well-known by AEC firms, but the degree to which they drive ZNE adoption is not clear.
Click here for more coverage from Navigant. For more on zero net energy, click here.