Zero Net Energy Buildings:

Building Intelligent Controls Driving Success

Greg Walker
Research Director
Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA)
Email: walker@caba.org
Phone: 613.686.1814 x227
Website: http://www.caba.org
 CABA
The Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA) is an international
not-for-profit industry association, founded in 1988, dedicated to the
advancement of intelligent home and intelligent building technologies. The
organization is supported by an international membership of over 300
organizations involved in the design, manufacture, installation and retailing of
products relating to home automation and building automation. Public
organizations, including utilities and government are also members. CABA's
mandate includes providing its members with networking and research
opportunities. CABA also encourages the development of industry standards
and protocols, and leads cross-industry initiatives. www.caba.org
 What does ZNE look like?

ZNE Buildings have very low energy loads such that the annual
energy consumption is balanced by on-site renewable energy
Germany's Solar Coated Building by
surPLUShome

The Wayne N. Aspinall Federal Building

and U.S. Courthouse in Grand Junction,
CO, which GSA is aiming to turn into a Net-
Zero Energy usage historic building.
(Photo courtesy of GSA)
 CO2 Emissions from Fossil Fuels by Sector

Industry 25%
Industrial: 5%

Buildings Commercial: 17%

43% Residential: 21%

Buildings= 43%

Transport
32%

Data Source: Pew Center on Global Climate Change

 1-3% added initial cost of construction could
save up to 60 percent of energy use in new
buildings. (2013 Cost Comparison of ZNE and
LBC for the District of Columbia)

California’s Net Zero Energy Building Mandate

To Reshape US Construction Industry

Buildings are responsible for at least 40% of

energy use in most countries. (The World
Business Council for Sustainable Development)

The first commercial-scale

net-zero building was a
center for environmental
studies, completed at
Oberlin College in Ohio in
2000. (Scientific America)
Who is going to Zero?
McDonalds Walgreens IBEW 595
Solterra PNC Bank Morphosis
Architects Melink Corp. Hines
Domus Kaiser Permanente Green Leaf Inn
Frito-Lay TD Bank DPR Construction
Adobe Honda KB Homes
JC Johnson Co. 3C Company Hewlett Packard
TNT Express Bubbly Dynamics Walt Disney
Bayer

States : CA, CO, DC, DE, MA, MN, NY, NM, OR, RI,
VT, WA
Cities: Seattle, Austin, Cambridge, Lancaster, Fort
Collins Tucson/Pima County
All U.S. Federal Buildings, The European Union
British Columbia, Canada

NBI © 2014
# of ZNE Projects

+ 40 more
Pending
 Sizes/Type of ZNE Buildings

•36% Education • 18 Districts

•19% offices • 12 Multi-family
•24% Renovations • Increase in Private Sector
NBI © 2014
 2015 CABA Research Project
“Zero Net Energy Buildings: Building
Intelligent Controls Driving Success”

http://www.caba.org/research/projects/zero-net-energy-buildings
 Research Scope

Areas of Inquiry:
1. Selection Rationale and Characteristics
2. Energy Impact
3. Operational Feedback – Operators and Occupants
 5 Objectives:
1) Determine the frequency, types and characteristics of EIS-
type systems in ZNE buildings.

2) Identify the methodology used to determine a) the

inclusion of an integrated EIS and b) the selection of specific
systems.

3) Represent the operator and occupant user preferences,

and anticipated versus actual interface roles and applications.

4) Establish energy savings estimates attributable to the EIS

and their role toward the ZNE target

5) Deliver, the results through various market connection

opportunities and pathways in order for the results to have
market impact (eg. media, e-news, utility programs, policy
makers etc).
 Target Sites and Timeline

ZNE and Ultra-low Energy Bldgs 20-50k 50-100 100+ Totals

Offices 13 2 4 19

Education Centers - Community 4 1 5

Total Study Sites: 24

Research Area Estimated Available # Target Quantity

Target Building Sites 25-30 20

Study Groups 500 100

Month Following Contract Agreement

Task Description 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Task 1 Research Development Ongoing Research Mgmt and CABA reporting
Task 2 Outreach and Inquiry
Task 3 Findings Analysis and Reports Draft Final
Task 4 Market Connections Develop MC Plan Market Conn Action
Current CABA Research Projects
Connected Consumer Roadmap: Driven by the Internet of Things

Intelligent Buildings and Big Data

14
Current CABA Research Projects
Intelligent and Integrated Building Technologies: Market Size N.A. version 2
(MSNA v2)

Zero Net Energy Buildings: Building Intelligent Controls Driving Success

15
Questions - Discussion

Join us in this Research

Greg Walker
Research Director
Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA)
Email: walker@caba.org
Phone: 613.686.1814 x227
Website: http://www.caba.org