Zero Net Energy - April 5, 2023

 Climate positive residential development in Berlin, Germany

https://www.peter-ruge.de/project/klimapositiv-wohnen-in-berlin/language/en
https://inhabitat.com/live-in-a-climate-positive-off-grid-housing-development/

Senang residential block in Amsterdam heated and cooled with collective heat pump 
https://inhabitat.com/earth-friendly-residential-block-has-new-take-on-old-design/
http://www.m3h.nl/project/senang-transformatie-indische-buurt-amsterdam/

Net positive certified office furniture from Humanscale, certified by Living Product Challenge*
https://www.humanscale.com/blog/humanscale-wins-metropolis-planet-positive-award
https://inhabitat.com/humanscale-wows-with-26-net-positive-certified-products/
*https://living-future.org/lpc/
Editorial Comment:  Interface, the international carpet tile manufacturer, has achieved zero environmental impact after working towards it for more than 20 years and is producing a net positive carpet product:  https://solarray.blogspot.com/2022/03/interface-from-living-zero-to-climate.html

Net positive Brink Tower in Amsterdam, including aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) system
https://www.mecanoo.nl/Projects/project/266
https://inhabitat.com/brink-tower-in-amsterdam-is-a-pillar-of-sustainable-design/

A sustainable city for 150,000 in Africa producing 100% of its food, water, and energy on site
https://urb.ae/projects/theparks/
https://inhabitat.com/the-parks-will-be-africas-largest-sustainable-city/

Factory-made, modular net zero-ready buildings from Vantem
https://vantem.com
https://cleantechnica.com/2022/11/25/vantem-offers-energy-efficient-factory-made-modular-dwellings/

Triple Zero – planning a decarbonized logistics facility, aiming for net zero emissions over the entire lifecycle of the building
https://nrep.com/project/triple-zero/
https://inhabitat.com/triple-zero-is-going-above-and-beyond-decarbonizing/

Largest net zero building in Boston, BU’s Center for Computing and Data Sciences uses geotheramal energy
https://www.wbur.org/news/2022/12/07/boston-university-unveils-citys-largest-net-zero-building-geothermal

Regenerative architecture - net zero complex in Yakushima, Japan which enhances the local ecology
https://www.to-no.me/works/sumu-yakushima
https://inhabitat.com/regenerative-architecture-in-japan-is-100-off-grid/

Zero net energy remodels case studies
https://zeroenergyproject.com/renovate/zero-energy-remodels-case-studies/
hat tip Ambrose Spencer

Podcast on designing net zero energy homes
https://propane.com/environment/podcast/2-17-designing-zero-net-energy-homes/?utm_campaign=p20-podcast__aud-etl__str-etl

NREL pilot program for mass energy efficiency retrofits
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/energy-efficiency/foam-panels-can-turn-old-abodes-into-energy-efficient-homes-of-the-future

Zero Net Energy - October 20, 2022

 Becoming and remaining a net zero office building

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/22/opinion/energy-office-buildings-net-zero-climate.html

Distributed battery systems for utilities:
Vermont’s Green Mountain Power
https://greenmountainpower.com/news/gmp-expands-battery-options-for-customers/
California’s PG&E
https://electrek.co/2022/08/18/teslas-virtual-power-plant-first-event-helping-grid-future/
Utah’s Rocky Mountain Power (and Idaho)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/batteries/in-utah-thousands-of-homes-feed-the-grid-stored-solar-power

Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands building designed to generate more energy than it consumes
https://www.unstudio.com/en/page/13592/echo-tu-delft
https://inhabitat.com/echo-by-unstudio-generates-more-energy-than-it-uses/

Sunnova wants to build solar/battery neighborhoods that don’t connect to the grid
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/01/business/energy-environment/sunnova-off-grid-neighborhoods.html

5 net zero homes
https://inhabitat.com/5-sustainable-eco-homes-built-with-style/

Team Zero helps homeowners, builders, and industry professionals work towards a Zero Energy future.  
https://teamzero.org/gateway-to-zero/

Renovating a 100 year old Craftsman home to net zero
https://www.washingtonpost.com/magazine/2022/09/14/net-zero-home-renovation-washington/

URB - Net zero community for 100,000 in United Arab Emirates
https://urb.ae
https://inhabitat.com/urban-design-of-the-worlds-largest-net-zero-community/

The Line - first development in Neom, a planned $500 billion city for an anticipated population of 9 million
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Line,_Saudi_Arabia

My Biggest Regret Building a Net Zero Home
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4aqEjIwBwo
hat tip to W David Stephenson

How will future climate impact the design and performance of nearly zero energy buildings (NZEBs)?
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544221027286
hat tip to cleantechnica.com

First NYC condo certified to passive house standards
https://gbdmagazine.com/bksk-architects/
https://inhabitat.com/first-condo-in-nyc-certified-by-passive-house-institute/

Zero Net Energy - August 16, 2022

et zero energy city planned for Egypt - producing more energy AND food than it consumes
https://urb.ae/projects/nexgensustainablecity/
https://inhabitat.com/first-climate-positive-net-zero-city-in-the-world/

Hotels With Net-Zero Ambitions
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/26/travel/hotels-sustainability-net-zero.html

Net positive hotel being built in Denver, CO
hhttps://inhabitat.com/first-carbon-positive-hotel-in-the-us-breaks-ground/
Critique by James Kunstler: https://kunstler.com/eyesore-of-the-month/may-2022/

Net zero energy renovation at the 2022 International Builder's Show (which is actually net positive energy renovation)
https://www.rateitgreen.com/green-building-community/discussions/example-of-a-net-zero-energy-renovation-ibs-2022-home-tour-saw-horse-design/5804

Solar Exoskeletons – An integrated building system combining solar gain control with structural efficiency
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038092X22003930

Not solar roads but solar sidewalks, bike paths, and driveways
https://cleantechnica.com/2022/06/21/hungarian-company-introduces-improved-solar-modules-for-solar-pavement/

Net zero community center in Toronto
https://perkinswill.com/project/north-east-scarborough-community-and-child-care-centre/
https://inhabitat.com/take-a-look-at-torontos-first-net-zero-community-center/

Seattle Central College attempts “zero-carbon efficiency” in a new eco district
https://www.mckinstry.com/seattle-central-college-to-decarbonize-with-unique-ecodistrict-development/
https://inhabitat.com/seattle-college-will-become-a-ecodistrict-of-modern-tech/

Sweden’s first climate-positive district, Ljusekulla
https://www.skanska.se/en-us/about-skanska/sustainability/h22/ljusekulla/
hat tip: We Don’t Have Time https://app.wedonthavetime.org/

Michelle and Barack Obama Sports Complex - one of the first net zero energy complexes in LA
https://www.spfa.com/work/obama-sports-complex
https://inhabitat.com/michelle-and-barack-obama-net-zero-energy-sports-complex/

Ithaca, NY plans to decarbonize the whole city through electrification
https://www.greenbiz.com/article/electrify-ithaca-public-private-collaborative-approach-city-wide-decarbonization

VERGE 22 is the leading climate tech event accelerating solutions to the most pressing challenges of our time. Join thousands of leaders — from business, government, solution providers and startups — working together to address the climate crisis across six strategic areas: clean energy, sustainable transportation, carbon removal, regenerative food systems, net-zero buildings and the startup ecosystem.
https://events.greenbiz.com/events/verge/2022
OCT 25 - 27, 2022 SAN JOSE CONVENTION CENTER, SAN JOSE, CA
Cost: $50 - $1,975

Zero Net Energy - March 31, 2022

 Treehouse with "green walls, facades and rooftops, plus water features, natural light, and ventilation strategies to green the traditional office building,” winning an award from the World Green Building Council

https://www.archdaily.com/974806/ronald-lu-and-partners-competition-winning-design-re-imagines-the-workplace
https://inhabitat.com/biophilic-treehouse-imagines-a-greener-office-experience/

Decarbonization During Predevelopment of Modular Building Solutions - report on modular low-income housing
https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy22osti/81037.pdf
hat tip and article https://cleantechnica.com/2022/02/23/net-zero-energy-blok-by-blok-lower-emissions-costs-with-net-zero-energy-modules/

McDonald’s build UK’s first “net zero” restaurant - including embodied carbon
https://www.treehugger.com/mcdonalds-net-zero-restaurant-uk-5220187

Net zero tiny home on wheels
https://www.firstlightstudio.co.nz/ohariu-tiny-home
https://www.yankodesign.com/2021/07/09/this-tiny-home-on-wheels-is-solar-powered-net-zero-solution-designed-by-an-actual-architect/
https://inhabitat.com/net-zero-tiny-home-on-wheels/

New Zealand eco-lodge accepts the Living Building Challenge and is a net positive building
https://www.campglenorchy.co.nz/about-us/sustainability
https://inhabitat.com/ecolodge-camp-glenorchy-net-positive/

Cacao Eco Village in Ecuador will be 3D printed from cacao waste, the first of a planned global network of sustainable smart villages — a carbon-neutral circular economy for the cacao industry
https://valentinogareri.com/Cacao-Eco-Village
https://inhabitat.com/3d-printing-powers-carbon-neutral-cacao-village/
https://www.dezeen.com/2022/01/17/cacao-eco-village-valentino-gareri-atelier-eco-village-3d-printed/

Solar Decathlon finalists, all 55 of them (Wentworth Institute of Technology is a finalist in 3 different categories)
https://www.solardecathlon.gov/blog/archives/5989

Net zero energy prefabricated housing modules report from NREL, Wells Fargo, and Blokable
Article:  https://www.nrel.gov/news/program/2022/blok-by-blok-lower-emissions-and-costs-with-net-zero-energy-modules.html
Report:  https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy22osti/81037.pdf
hat tip Martin Voelker

The Independent - Austin, TX net energy neutral 58 story tower
http://www.rhodepartners.com/projects#/the-independent/
https://inhabitat.com/solar-helps-make-austin-tower-net-energy-neutral/

Sunflower Village - 3D printed net zero community
https://valentinogareri.com/Sunflower-Village
https://inhabitat.com/3d-printing-is-behind-plans-for-futuristic-sunflower-village/

Fresco Motors proposes net positive energy campus
https://www.frescomotors.com/campus
https://inhabitat.com/fresco-motors-unveils-futuristic-energy-positive-campus/

House Zero - 3D printed net zero energy house
https://www.iconbuild.com/housezero
https://inhabitat.com/this-net-zero-house-is-full-of-possibilities-for-the-future/

Zero Net Energy - March 11, 2022

 No waste, no carbon, net zero home

https://www.acsarchitect.com/baboolal-residence

https://inhabitat.com/no-waste-no-carbon-no-wonder-this-net-zero-home-breaks-the-mold/

Singapore plans a “forest town”
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/04/singapore-sustainable-smart-town-tengah

Zero Carbon Communities Guide
https://bze.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/BZE-Zero-Carbon-Communities-Guide-v4.pdf
hat tip to Robert McEleney

Near net zero factory to residential retrofit in Rotterdam
https://www.orangearchitects.nl/projects/ptt-binnenrotte/
https://inhabitat.com/a-telecoms-building-gets-a-new-life-as-energy-producing-apartments/

Net zero energy fire station and community hall for Onondaga Nation:
"The new firehouse is named Tsha’thoñswatha,’ meaning 'where they put it out.' The aspirations of the Tsha’thoñswatha were: It will be built by the people of the Nation; It will walk gently on Mother Earth; It will be a vital part of the community and draw the community closer; It will be a showpiece and destination for others to see and use; and People will learn from the building and the experience of building it."
https://www.ashleymcgraw.com/fire-station
https://inhabitat.com/onondaga-nations-eco-friendly-firehouse-produces-all-of-its-own-energy/

Net zero condominium complex in Oakland, CA
http://www.modernlivingoakland.com
https://inhabitat.com/net-zero-complex-becomes-the-first-of-its-kind-in-oakland/

Net zero carbon office building in Toronto
https://www.zasa.com/toronto-and-region-conservation-authority-trca
https://inhabitat.com/this-administrative-office-building-features-a-net-zero-carbon-design/

Nation’s first triple net zero (energy/water/waste) housing development in NYC
http://garrisonarchitects.com/projects/the-seventy-six
https://inhabitat.com/nations-first-triple-net-zero-housing-development-to-rise-in-new-york/

Net positive (up to 4X) Rhenus warehouse in Tilburg, Netherlands
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-49130995
More on the warehouse and other developments in Tilburg
https://dutchreview.com/traveling/cities/tilburg/new-warehouse-in-tilburg-might-be-the-most-sustainable-building/

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill’s blueprint for sustainable architecture, Urban Sequoia
https://www.som.com/news/at-cop26-som-unveils-urban-sequoia-a-proposal-to-transform-the-built-environment-into-a-network-for-absorbing-carbon/
https://inhabitat.com/urban-sequoia-is-a-blueprint-for-sustainable-architecture/

Zero emissions cherry orchard in New Zealand
https://cleantechnica.com/2022/01/20/100-zero-emissions-cherry-orchard/

Urban Forest - 20 story carbon neutral residential green building for Brisbane, Australia
https://koichitakada.com/projects/urban-forest/
https://inhabitat.com/urban-forest-is-set-to-be-the-greenest-residential-building/

Zero Net Energy - January 13, 2022

  Ithaca, NY raises $100 million to decarbonize its buildings

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/aug/19/ithaca-new-york-raised-100m-climate-proof-buildings
https://inhabitat.com/ithaca-raises-100m-to-decarbonize-buildings/

18 story tower gets a deep energy retrofit
https://www.eraarch.ca/project/ken-soble-tower-transformation/
https://inhabitat.com/ken-soble-tower-sets-an-example-for-high-rise-sustainability/
Editorial Comment:  Greening the Empire State Building (from 2011)
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2011/9/10/1015400/

WorldG[reen]B[uilding]C[ouncil] Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment expands to include embodied carbon
https://www.worldgbc.org/news-media/commitment-includes-embodied-carbon
WorldGBC Advancing Net Zero Project
https://www.worldgbc.org/advancing-net-zero

Telosa - "To create a new city in America that sets a global standard for urban living, expands human potential, and becomes a blueprint for future generations"
https://cityoftelosa.com
https://inhabitat.com/city-of-telosa-enlists-bjarke-ingels-group-for-urban-utopia/

Passive House 101 - Anatomy of an amazing net-zero cold climate passive house in Calgary, Alberta, Canada
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbJLSrx-jXI
hat tip John B Hoag

International Energy Agency commits to become net zero by 2024
https://www.iea.org/news/international-energy-agency-commits-to-become-net-zero-by-2024
Net Zero by 2050:  A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector
https://www.iea.org/reports/net-zero-by-2050
hat tip to treehugger.com

Robin Wood - an urban block made of wood which will be net zero in construction and operation, including a micro-forest
https://marckoehler.com/project/robin-wood-making-an-island-together/
https://inhabitat.com/sustainable-and-affordable-urban-block-coming-to-amsterdam/

Build Better Now - virtual reality presentation of green building prepared for COP26
https://buildbetternow.co
https://inhabitat.com/virtual-pavilion-looks-into-the-future-of-sustainable-design/

Ripple House - entry for Solar Decathlon in Wuppertal, Germany
https://teamvirtue.nl
https://inhabitat.com/students-design-a-house-that-revolutionizes-urban-design/

Affordable net zero houses which are carbon negative, harvest 100% of the rainwater, clean their sewage and potentially grow their own food 
https://www.billionbricks.org
https://www.architecturebrio.com/projects-item/billionbricks-homes-self-financing-home/
https://inhabitat.com/affordable-solar-homes-are-lifting-homeowners-out-of-poverty/

MA’s first energy positive public school, the 70,242-sf Annie E. Fales Elementary School
https://www.bdcnetwork.com/massachusetts-first-net-positive-energy-public-school-opens
hat tip to Rudy Perkins

Wisconsin’s first carbon neutral school
https://spectrumnews1.com/wi/milwaukee/news/2021/04/16/wisconsin-s-first-carbon-neutral-school-up-and-running
https://www.oregonsd.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=552&ModuleInstanceID=10574&ViewID=6446EE88-D30C-497E-9316-3F8874B3E108&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=22895&PageID=5466
hat tip to Rudy Perkins

Zero Net Energy - August 23, 2021

 Zero emissions drive would grow U.S. economy - Report shows meeting Paris climate goals would add trillions of dollars in economic growth

https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2021/03/zero-emissions-drive-would-grow-u-s-economy/
https://energyinnovation.org/publication/a-1-5-celsius-pathway-to-climate-leadership-for-the-united-states/

Zero net energy, waste, and water development in Albany, NY
http://garrisonarchitects.com/projects/the-seventy-six
https://www.treehugger.com/triple-net-zero-development-albany-5118512

NC net zero home
https://inhabitat.com/no-waste-no-carbon-no-wonder-this-net-zero-home-breaks-the-mold/
https://www.acsarchitect.com/baboolal-residence

Carbon neutral, net energy positive ecodistrict for Lille, France
https://vincent.callebaut.org/object/210126_archiborescence/archiborescence/projects
https://inhabitat.com/vincent-callebaut-envisions-a-carbon-neutral-district-for-france/

Toranomon-Azabudai Project - an urban village for Tokyo focusing on “green” and “wellness"
https://inhabitat.com/the-toranomon-azabudai-project-puts-health-before-business/

Positive net energy for Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania
https://inhabitat.com/phipps-conservatory-and-botanical-gardens-leeds-the-way-in-green-design/

Tesla Energy, Brookfield, & Dacra Are Developing A Large-Scale Sustainable Neighborhood In Austin, Texas
https://cleantechnica.com/2021/07/09/tesla-energy-brookfield-dacra-are-developing-a-large-scale-sustainable-neighborhood-in-austin-texas/
Editorial Comment:  Anybody remember the 1979 Solar Community in Davis, CA (http://schadavis.org)?

Cantilever House - zero net energy design for India
https://www.zeroenergydesignlab.com/cantileverhouse
https://inhabitat.com/the-cantilever-house-combats-a-hot-climate-with-sustainable-design/
Editorial Comment:  Finally some work on zero net energy designs for cooling as well as heating.  ZED Lab looks interesting as well.  They’ve been working since 2009.

Hot Heart - artifical islands to supply heat to Helsinki and support a tropical forest
https://inhabitat.com/a-tropical-forest-will-soon-grow-in-helsinki-and-provide-all-the-citys-heat/

Greenhouses for extreme climates
https://www.agritecture.com/blog/2021/7/19/this-company-builds-greenhouses-in-some-of-the-worlds-most-extreme-climates

Austin, TX’s Whisper Valley "a net-zero capable community, and every home has a geothermal HVAC (it’s a very unique* geothermal system – it’s the first of its kind and the largest in the world)”
https://whispervalleyaustin.com
https://cleantechnica.com/2021/07/28/idea-for-tesla-energy-look-at-austins-whisper-valley-for-your-next-solar-neighborhood/
Editorial Comment:  My old English teacher, Mr Neilsen, would want me to remind people that “unique” means “one of a kind” which is difficult to modify.  There’s no such thing as “very one of a kind.”

Toyota’s Woven City - a programmable city and a test bed for a hydrogen energy system (?)
https://www.woven-city.global