The European Commission has set ambitious Zero Net Energy targets for buildings coming into force in 2020.   A key strategy of the Romania Green Building Council and the International Living Future Institute is to demonstrate to and educate the building community- and importantly the investor community - on the viability of buildings reaching Net Zero Energy performance.   RoGBC President Steven Borncamp in his capacity of Managing Director of the Living Future Europe campaign  has been invited to speak at this international seminar at  MIPIM 2014

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Zero Net Energy ("ZNE" or often referred to as Net Zero Energy Buildings "NZEBs") has unprecedented potential to transform the way buildings use energy. This ultra-efficiency goal is one that owners can define, design teams can reach for and occupants desire. An increasing number of new and existing buildings are meeting this standard, raising confidence that a ZNE goal is realistic given current building technologies and design approaches.

ZNE buildings use no more energy over the course of the year than they produce from on-site renewable sources. Additionally, zero net energy-capable buildings achieve energy performance similar to ZNEs by do not have sufficient on-site power generation. New Buildings Institute has been tracking the number, cost and features of ZNE and ZNE-capable buildings in the United States in recent years. ZNE building are not only feasible, international examples demonstrate that they can be constructed for incremental costs in line with incremental costs for typical green buildings.
This session will engage the audience on four different perspectives of what it takes to create a ZNE building. A panel including an owner, architect, engineer and city official (policymaker) will consider the counterintuitive notion that net zero goals may not need to cost more; the essential requirement of an integrated design process to achieve extraordinary energy performance and keeping costs in line; why only a few building and owner types have undertaken net zero to date, and opportunities to bring this practice to scale. Finally, the session will present the critical relationship between the policies that govern commercial building construction and successful achievement of the ZNE goal.


Moderator: Ralph DiNola, Executive Director, New Buildings Institute

www.newbuildings.org