Imagine walking into a building that powers itself, slashes energy bills, and boosts its market value. Sounds like a savvy business move, right? Welcome to an era where net-zero energy buildings are a strategic asset. With growing consumer demand for sustainability, tightening government regulations, and the need for greater resiliency, businesses are rethinking how their buildings consume energy.
But here's the big question: Can standalone energy efficiency improvements like LED lighting bring a building to net-zero energy consumption?
Lighting retrofits are often the go-to strategy for companies aiming to reduce operational costs and start their emissions reduction journey. However, net-zero energy requires significant changes to a building's design and operations.
Spoiler alert: Achieving net-zero status often requires a whole-building approach. Let's dive in to find out why.
How Close to Net-Zero Can You Get with Energy Efficiency Improvements?
Energy efficiency is all about doing more with less — using technology and smart practices to reduce the amount of energy required for services like lighting, heating, and cooling. By optimizing energy use, buildings can significantly reduce energy consumption, leading to cost savings and a stronger competitive edge.
How Much Can You Save with Lighting?
Lighting accounts for a significant portion of a building's energy use and is one of the easiest areas to improve. Switching from traditional incandescent bulbs to LED lighting can reduce energy usage by up to 75% in that category of use. LEDs consume less power and have a longer lifespan, reducing maintenance costs.
Implementing smart lighting controls like motion sensors, dimmers, and daylight harvesting systems can further cut energy consumption. Daylight sensors adjust artificial lighting based on the amount of natural light, ensuring optimal illumination at all times.
Considering commercial buildings typically use 15% to 20% of their total energy for lighting, lighting upgrades can contribute 10-15% overall energy reduction.
How Much Can You Save Using Controls and Automation?
Automation takes energy efficiency to the next level by optimizing building operations. Building Management Systems (BMS) integrate and automate HVAC, lighting, security, and other functions based on occupancy and schedules. BMS can significantly reduce energy waste by ensuring systems run only when needed. Advanced Energy Management Systems monitor energy usage in real time, allowing facility managers to make data-driven decisions and adjustments on the fly.
Implementing controls and automation can result in nearly 30% energy savings. This reduces operational costs and enhances occupant comfort and productivity — both factors that can improve employee retention and customer satisfaction.
How Much Can You Save Replacing HVAC with a More Efficient System?
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are among the largest energy consumers in buildings. Upgrading to high-efficiency heat pumps, Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) systems, or energy recovery ventilators can dramatically reduce energy use. However, the potential savings from HVAC upgrades can vary widely due to factors like building size, climate zone, and existing infrastructure.
HVAC upgrades can result in 20-40% energy savings, though actual results depend on specific circumstances. Efficient HVAC technologies lower energy consumption and improve indoor air quality, contributing to a healthier environment for occupants, which can be a selling point that will likely become increasingly important to consumers and employees alike.
The Cumulative Effect
When combined, these common one-off energy efficiency measures can collectively reduce a building's energy consumption by approximately 40-85%. While these savings are substantial and can significantly lower operating costs, they're not enough to bring a building to net-zero energy.
How to Achieve Net-Zero Energy – A Whole Building Approach
So, if basic energy efficiency improvements alone won't get a building to net-zero, what's the missing piece? Achieving net-zero requires a comprehensive strategy that considers the building an interconnected system rather than a collection of individual components.
1. Where Do You Start?
Energy Audit
Conducting an energy audit is the first crucial step. An audit identifies where and how energy is used or wasted in a building. With this information, you can identify areas with high energy use, set realistic goals, and prioritize actions that will have the most significant impact. This data-driven approach ensures that resources are allocated efficiently, maximizing environmental and economic benefits.
Know Your Energy Utilization Intensity (EUI)
Using the information from an energy audit, you can calculate the building's Energy Utilization Intensity (EUI). EUI measures a building's energy use per square foot.
This provides valuable insight into how your building's energy use compares to industry averages. If your EUI is higher than average, there's substantial room for improvement and likely easy, industry-standard upgrades you can make.
2. Develop a Plan
Create a Sustainability Roadmap
Creating a long-term plan that aligns your business objectives with sustainability goals is essential This roadmap should outline the steps to reduce energy consumption to net-zero and integrate renewable energy sources. Involving all building stakeholders — owners, facility managers, and occupants — ensures buy-in and a well-rounded strategy. This provides a clear path forward, helping to prioritize initiatives and allocate resources effectively.
Assess and Prioritize Upgrades
Identify which systems need immediate attention, like an outdated HVAC system, versus those that can be upgraded later. Developing a Capital Improvement Plan allows you to allocate funds effectively over time, ensuring investments are made where they'll have the most significant impact and when funding is available.
Sustainable Facilities Management Plan
Regular maintenance ensures that systems continue to operate efficiently over their lifespan. A Sustainable Facilities Management Plan not only prolongs the life of your equipment but also sustains energy efficiency gains. Equipping your staff with the knowledge to operate and maintain new systems properly is equally important.
3. Implement Building-Level Changes – Sustainable Renovation & Retrofit
After you know your building's baseline energy use and have a plan to reduce consumption, it's time to start implementing comprehensive changes and upgrades to the building. These are some common actions you can take to work towards net-zero:
Electrification
Replacing fossil fuel-based systems (like natural gas heating) with electric alternatives is a significant step toward net-zero. This allows a building to rely entirely on electricity, which can be sourced from renewable sources. It is impossible for a building to be net-zero energy if it depends on fossil fuels.
Upgrade The Building Envelope
Improving the building envelope by upgrading to high-efficiency insulation and sealing gaps can significantly reduce heating and cooling demands. Using eco-friendly materials enhances performance while lowering environmental impact.
Sustainable Design
Incorporate sustainable design strategies throughout the building. These can range from easy, noninvasive upgrades to core building changes.
For example, an easy change can be adding trees or overhangs to increase natural shade covering the building during the hottest day. This reduces reliance on mechanical HVAC systems. A more comprehensive improvement might be redesigning the building's ventilation system to harness natural airflow or adding a green roof.
4. Renewables for the Rest
Even after maximizing energy efficiency and implementing sustainable designs, buildings still require energy. This is where renewable energy comes into play. You can offset the remaining consumption by generating or purchasing clean energy.
Onsite Renewable Energy
Adding onsite renewables like solar panels is a long-term solution to access renewable energy. Depending on your location, geothermal systems might also be viable for building heating needs.
Combining onsite renewables with an energy storage system is a great way to improve the system's usability, as it ensures a steady energy supply even when the sun isn't shining, or the wind isn't blowing. Furthermore, excess energy can be sold back to the local utility company for a profit.
Renewable Energy Credits (RECs)
If onsite renewables can't cover all energy needs or are too expensive to develop in the near term, purchasing Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) can offset the remaining consumption while you develop the necessary onsite renewable energy capacity.
This approach allows buildings to achieve net-zero energy status even when practical or financial limitations prevent complete onsite renewable generation.
Embracing the Value of Net Zero
Pursuing net-zero energy offers significant benefits beyond environmental impact. It reduces operating costs, increases property value, and provides a competitive edge in a market that increasingly values sustainability.
Consumer sentiment is shifting — customers prefer businesses that demonstrate responsible practices. Government regulations are also tightening, and being proactive can keep you ahead of compliance requirements. Moreover, enhancing your building's resiliency ensures you're better prepared for future challenges, from energy price fluctuations to supply disruptions.
At Emerald Built Environments, A Crete United Company, we're here to guide you on your net-zero energy journey. From conducting comprehensive energy audits to developing sustainability roadmaps and implementing cutting-edge solutions, we help transform buildings into high-performing, sustainable assets.
