Zero Energy Districts are an important pathway toward optimizing energy efficiency in new construction because of the cost savings and environmental and economic benefits they can provide. Zero Energy Districts are designed and built to maximize energy efficiency and use renewable energy at a district scale. Accelerator partners worked to demonstrate the practicality of taking action to cost-effectively meet zero energy goals and commitments. By completing a detailed energy master plan, governance and business case model, and development pathway for a Zero Energy District, partners worked to identify the best practice approaches of considering well-defined energy performance goals and incentives for the entire building and district lifecycle.
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This guide was developed with partners throughout the United States to demonstrate how implementing district-scale high-performance strategies can be successful and scalable approaches to achieving deep energy savings that increase affordability, improve resilience, reduce emissions, and foster economic development.
This conference paper introduces zero energy districts, reviews the structure of the Zero Energy District Accelerator, discusses the value of energy master planning, presents barriers to zero energy districts and how these are being addressed by zero energy district pioneers, and suggests pathways for wide-scale replication.
Other Resources
Fact Sheet
Zero Energy Districts provide an opportunity to optimize energy efficiency in new construction because of the integration aspects that lead to increased cost savings and environmental and economic benefits.
Guidance
Access definitions for a zero energy building which produces enough renewable energy to meet its own annual energy consumption requirements, thereby reducing the use of non-renewable energy in the building sector.
Presentation
The ZEBs just keep coming! Learn how a bank, an elementary school and a manufacturing complex are using the zero energy design process of integrating energy and architecture to become leaders in their industry.
Partners
- Denver National Western CenterEcoDistrictsFord Twin Cities Assembly Plant Redevelopment ProjectHuntington Beach, CANational League of CitiesRocky Mountain InstituteSun Valley EcoDistrictThe Fresno Energy Performance DistrictU.S. Green Building CouncilWestern New York Manufacturing ZNE DistrictXcel Energy
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California
The Fresno Energy Performance DistrictHuntington Beach, CAColorado
Xcel EnergyDenver National Western CenterSun Valley EcoDistrictRocky Mountain InstituteDistrict Of Columbia
U.S. Green Building CouncilNational League of CitiesEcoDistrictsNew York
Western New York Manufacturing ZNE District