RMI's Getting to Zero: San Mateo County's approach to Zero Net Energy

Zero Net Energy (ZNE) is becoming an increasingly common target, which new buildings and remodeling projects use to address both regulatory and environmental goals. But there is no one path to ZNE, and “net-zero” has various definitions and meanings. Unfortunately, without proper planning and a holistic approach, the best intentions can be set up for failure before a project even starts. By Tom Willard, Principal and CEO of Sage Energy Consulting

Before beginning any ZNE plan, it’s critical to understand and define what “getting to zero” means for the specific project, develop policies in compliance with local regulations and rating systems, and lay our clear pathways to meet these policies across your energy portfolio. Since the policy landscape is constantly evolving, it’s also important to be proactive and consider what compliance is likely to look like in the future.

A holistic approach to emissions reductions can be leveraged together with LEED, Living Building Challenge, and other ratings systems to save on operational costs, reduce environmental impacts, and meet your sustainability goals.

The good news is that successful ZNE planning can avoid millions of dollars in energy costs, improve comfort and productivity, and keep limited project funds focused on missions-critical facilities, allowing public and private organizations to become leaders in the transition to renewable energy.