Net Zero Energy Building
The International Living Future Institute (ILFI) provides a certification option for a Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB) under its umbrella of the holistic Living Building Challenge (LBC) certification.
The International Living Future Institute (ILFI) provides a certification option for a Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB) under its umbrella of the holistic Living Building Challenge (LBC) certification.
Such buildings have 100% of their energy needs supplied by on-site renewable energy on a net annual basis.
The NZEB designation verifies that a building is truly operating as claimed, harnessing energy from the sun, wind, or earth to exceed net annual demand. To earn this certification, a building must actually meet five requirements of the LBC: Limits of Growth, Net Zero Energy, Rights to Nature, Beauty and Spirit, and Inspiration and Education.
According to the ILFI website, nearly any building can become NZEB-certified: new or operational, anywhere in the world.
Net Zero Energy Buildings – whether certified or not – require careful attention to their building envelope and strategies for reducing energy demand, followed by use of energy efficient systems. Energy modeling will tell project teams how much energy a building will use, and they can therefore size renewable energy systems to meet the building’s demand (and can adjust designs along the way to continually reduce demand and size systems accurately).
To find out more about this certification, visit the ILFI website, which includes:
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Additional details on requirements for certification
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Registration and certification details
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Technical assistance
Top banner photo: Jeremy Bezanger (Unsplash)