skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Zero Energy Buildings: A Critical Look at the Definition; Preprint

Conference ·
OSTI ID:883663

A net zero-energy building (ZEB) is a residential or commercial building with greatly reduced energy needs through efficiency gains such that the balance of energy needs can be supplied with renewable technologies. Despite the excitement over the phrase ''zero energy'', we lack a common definition, or even a common understanding, of what it means. In this paper, we use a sample of current generation low-energy buildings to explore the concept of zero energy: what it means, why a clear and measurable definition is needed, and how we have progressed toward the ZEB goal.

Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC36-99-GO10337
OSTI ID:
883663
Report Number(s):
NREL/CP-550-39833; TRN: US200614%%881
Resource Relation:
Conference: To be presented at ACEEE Summer Study, 14-18 August 2006, Long Beach, California
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English