Net-Zero Buildings Don’t Have To Be Small

So says Building Operating Management, in an article that assaults the myths about Net-Zero Energy Buildings:

The Bullitt Center, dubbed by its owners, the Bullitt Foundation, as the “greenest commercial building in the world,” is a $30 million, six-story, 52,000-square-foot multitenant development that not only will be net-zero energy, but will also be a Living Buildings Challenge certified facility. The construction cost for the Bullitt Center is about $350 per square foot — about an 18 percent premium compared to traditional buildings, according to Brad Kahn, a spokesperson for Point32, the building’s developer.

“That’s expensive, but not outlandish,” says Paul Schwer, principal with PAE Consulting Engineers, Inc., the project’s engineering firm. He adds that the owners wanted a 250-year building, which also added cost. So it’s difficult to separate the specific net-zero energy costs from others.

Indeed, experts caution against that sort of first-cost or “premium” thinking in regards to net-zero energy buildings. After all, with net-zero energy buildings, there should literally be no utility bill (when accounting on an annual basis). And besides, as Qualk explains, if net-zero energy is the stated goal for the building and the starting point of the first design charrette — which is the case for nearly every documented net-zero energy building — then the components that make up the building aren’t divided into “net-zero components” and “traditional building components.” Everything is just part of the building.

“Fire protection, security and ADA all add cost to a building, but we’ve accepted those as things we have to pay for,” Qualk says. But, often, sustainability is still seen as a premium. “If net-zero energy is the starting point, then it’s worthwhile. The industry suffers from too much first-cost thinking. Failure to account for total cost of ownership means missed opportunities.”

Source: http://electricalcontractor.com/?p=7153

electric contractors electrical repair commercial electric electric contractor contractor electric