Net Zero Buildings
A net zero-energy building (ZEB) is a building that over a year does not use more energy than it generates. The approach typically uses passive solar heating and cooling techniques with air-tight construction and super insulation. A few ZEB’s fail to fully exploit more affordable conservation technology and all use onsite active renewable energy technologies like photovoltaic to offset the building's primary energy consumption. Passive House and ZEB are complementary synergistic technology approaches, based on the same physics of thermal energy transfer and storage: ZEBs drive the annual energy consumption down to 0 kWh/m² from the already low PassivHaus criteria of 120 kWh/m² with help from on-site renewable energy sources.
CMHC Net Zero Energy Housing:
