Design & Build With Metal: Zero Energy Building Initiatives

The DOE estimates that over the next twenty years 40% of the commercial building market will be built. By 2030 we will build an additional 40 billion square feet of commercial building space. The Energy Information Administration estimates that 60% of our nation’s electricity growth over the next twenty years will be related to commercial building usage.

The federal government recognized these alarming statistics and legislated a goal for all commercial buildings to become zero net energy structures by the year 2050. That legislation was part of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Congress created the Zero Net Energy Commercial Buildings Initiative (CBI) as part of that legislation. The CBI was officially launched by the Department of Energy on August 5, 2008. Its goal is “to develop and disseminate technologies, practices, and policies for establishment of zero net energy commercial buildings.”

Currently there are nine buildings that are operating at zero energy today, according to the DOE. These are verified buildings where the utility bills and operations are being closely monitored. Some of these buildings are completely off the grid, and some are sharing the grid.

The CBI is charged with a goal of demonstrating marketable zero net energy commercial buildings as early as 2025. Their milestones include .achieving zero net energy buildings in the new commercial building sector by 2030, in 50% of all commercial building stock by 2040, and in all commercial buildings by 2050. A tall order indeed.

To achieve the goal of the CBI, several alliances and partnerships have been created by the federal government. These include the Commercial Building Energy Alliances, the Commercial Building Partnerships, the National Laboratory Collaborative on Building Technology, and the High Performance Green Building Partnership Consortia.

Funding for the program has remained strong, with additional resources provided in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. In fact, in October of 2009 the DOE awarded a contract to form the Zero Energy Commercial Buildings Consortium as another partnership supporting the CBI. The Consortium is designed to coordinate the public and private involvement with the DOE’s work to develop and identify technologies that would help to achieve zero net energy buildings.

The Zero Energy Commercial Buildings Consortium brings together a diverse group of commercial building stakeholders to help DOE accelerate innovation, technology development and market transformation. The National Association of State Energy Officials acts as the steering committee for the Consortium. Currently the Consortium members total over 250. The members include building products manufacturers, utilities, energy providers, trade associations, engineering firms, laboratories, research organizations, federal agencies and departments and universities.

The group is planning and assisting in the implementation of a strategy to change the way commercial buildings use energy. The Consortium will identify promising new technologies and effective public policies. Some of these developments will result in demonstrations and pilot programs. The involvement of the private sector allows the Consortium to design, initiate and evaluate programs aimed at deployment of proven energy-saving technologies.

All aspects of construction and operation of commercial buildings are being considered. This includes development of more energy efficient building envelope assemblies and systems. A zero energy building, by definition, is one that generates as much electricity as it consumes. The first step is to find ways to significantly lower the use of energy through conservation efforts and improvements in efficiency. The second step is to design methods for generating energy on-site in many cases. When selecting a solar power, solar thermal or wind energy system for on-site usage, it is important to consider and compare the service life of those systems to the platform being used. A metal roof with more than 40 years of expected service life is an excellent platform for photovoltaic systems whose service life is approximately 25 years. In addition, new dynamic envelope technologies are being evaluated with metal roofing to dramatically reduce heat gain/loss while utilizing heat energy that is contained in the roof assembly.

The metal construction industry is involved in the Zero Energy Commercial Building Consortium. Just look at the list of the 250 members and you will find many companies and organizations involved in metal construction. We need to remain a part of this solution to our nation’s energy needs.

Scott Kriner, MCA's Technical Director, is the president and founder of Green Metal Consulting Inc. He is a LEED Accredited Professional who began his career in the metal construction industry in 1981. His company is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council, the California Association of Building Energy Consultants and the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET). Scott can be reached by email at skriner1@verizon.net, or by phone at (610) 966-2430. You can also visit him on the web at www.greenmetalconsulting.com.

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