Green construction initiatives have rapidly progressed in the last 20 years. One of the major goals of such an ideology was to create net zero energy buildings. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) defined what such a facility is in September of 2015 as “an energy-efficient building where, on a source energy basis, the actual annual delivered energy is less than or equal to the on-site renewable exported energy.”
Advancements in renewable energy technologies as well as high efficiency building systems now allow facilities classified as such to produce as much energy as they consume. Attaining net zero energy can be established as part of the design process of new construction projects or retrofitted to existing facilities.
Achieving net zero may involve the use or implementation of the following examples:
- Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels
- Energy efficient lighting & daylighting systems
- High-performance building envelopes
- High-performance HVAC systems
- Passive solar heating
The Coalition for Responsible Equitable Economic Development (CREED LA) proudly supports environmentally-responsible construction projects throughout Los Angeles that not only have a positive impact on the local community, but support LA’s working families as well.
CREED LA fights to ensure that developers pay fair wages to all the hard working construction professionals throughout the industry while simultaneously providing them with quality health care, continued training, and trustworthy retirement plans. To learn more about how our non-profit organization supports those building a better, greener world for us all, contact CREED LA at (877) 810-7473.