International. Net Zero Energy Buildings have gained special recognition in recent years and have created new precedents for their own performance. By definition, these buildings are designed to produce at least as much energy, if not more, than they consume.
Below we will learn about the eight smart buildings around the world that have obtained net zero or beyond, finding the link between ecological integrity and human well-being.
1. Glumac in Shanghai, China
Glumac's 6,000-square-foot engineering office in Shanghai, China, looks like another modern workplace that gets a lot of light. But it was the first to apply for the Living Building Challenge certification in Asia and is considered one of the most sustainable office spaces on the continent. It features an indoor air monitoring system that allows employees to see indoor air toxicity on their cell phones, based on monitored oxygen levels, volatile organic compound (VOC) levels, humidity and particulate matter. Fortunately for workers, Glumac has five air purification systems and a green wall planted to remove often unbearable pollution outside the building.
2. DPR Construction in San Francisco, CA
DPR Construction's San Francisco office is the first commercial office in the city to receive NZEB certification. DPR will continue to make additional improvements to the building with the goal of achieving net positive energy output. They also plan to replicate the project at the construction cost of the market. It features photovoltaic (PV) panels, rooftop solar water heating system, smart, electrochromic windows, energy-efficient ceiling fans, and a live horticulture wine bar. It also has the first LEED dynamic board in Northern California.
3. The Bullitt Center in Seattle, WA
Non-profit urban ecology. The Bullitt Foundation set out to accelerate the pace of change in the construction industry by building the "greenest commercial building in the world." While most buildings are developed with a lifespan of 40 years in mind, the Bullitt Center was designed to have a lifespan of 250 years. The Bullitt Center's features include net-zero energy, net-zero water, net net carbon, composting toilets, toxic-free materials, and more than 80% daylight using high-performance windows, using only "available products" for any construction project. While the world's six-story composting toilet system is impressive, even more impressive: 575 solar panels, proving that it is possible to obtain net-zero energy through solar energy.
4. Clover Network in Sunnyvale, CA
Originally a windowless racquetball complex, Clover Network's Sunnyvale office underwent a massive transformation under the direction of deep green engineering firm Integral Group, to add windows and build a new mezzanine with a large double-height space in the center. In addition, the building was modernized with electronically tinted glass, high-volume fans, a rooftop photovoltaic array, and extensive insulation to achieve a net zero energy bill design. Eighty-six new smart windows that stain demand and respond intuitively to outside conditions (that's a feat, considering the original racquetball court had no windows apart from its entrance doors).
5. NREL's Research Support Facility in Golden, Colorado
The Research Support Center (RSF) on the main campus of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado is a showcase of sustainable, high-performance design that incorporates the best in energy efficiency, environmental performance, and advanced controls using an integrated "Whole Building" design process. The building serves as a model for profitable, energy-efficient commercial buildings for the country's design, construction, operation and financing communities. The RSF is also a living laboratory for building technologies, providing real-time data that allows researchers to uncover opportunities to improve performance.
The building has a large thermal maze under the two wings of the main office that passively redistributes heat from the sunny south-facing facades and the building's data center to other parts of the building, drastically decreasing the cooling load of the data center throughout the year.
6. The Edge (Deloitte HQ) in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Under Bloomberg's name "The Smartest Building in the World," the building's main tenant, consulting firm Deloitte, uses a smartphone app to optimize the efficiency and productivity of its employees. From automatically directing employees to an open parking spot for their cars to directing them to an open workstation, the app knows employees' preferences for light and temperature, and adjusts the environment accordingly. The Dutch have a phrase for this: "het nieuwe werken:, or more or less," the new way of working. It's about using information technology to shape both the way we work and the spaces in which we do it. It's about resource efficiency in the traditional sense, and human efficiency.
The Edge is also the greenest building in the world, according to British rating agency BREEAM, which gave it the highest sustainability score ever awarded: 98.4 percent.
The Edge features the world's most efficient aquifer thermal energy storage system, a rainwater water system, and a human-powered gym. It features sensors on the LED light panels, which disseminate detailed temperature and humidity readings across a floor. A Deloitte survey found that while less than a quarter of employees actively use the app's thermostat features, three-quarters say they love the transparency and control it offers.
7. Legion House at Liberty Place in Sydney, Australia
Located in the heart of Sydney's central business district, Legion House is protected by its social importance as the original site of a YWCA for over 60 years. As part of its redevelopment, Legion House acquired two additional levels (now five levels in total), along with cutting-edge technology, making this building one of the most sustainable designs in the world. The Legion House was certified by the Green Building Council of Australia with a 6 star Green Star Design - Office v3 rating and needs to be refurbished as a completely zero carbon building, proving that it is possible even for historic buildings to go Net Zero.
Air conditioning is provided throughout Legion House using cold-beam technology. The ventilation provided with the cooled beam system uses 100% fresh outside air to maintain a very high level of indoor ambient quality for the occupants.
8. Glumac in Los Angeles, CA
Occupying the 23rd floor of the Aon Center, the design of Glumac's Los Angeles office focuses on the idea of collaboration and connectivity. The design of the 17,500-square-foot open office, developed by Gensler, allows for natural lighting and fosters an ethos of collective work. With a focus on Net Zero Energy, the Glumac LA project is in the running to become the 2nd Living Building Challenge Petal Certified Tenant Improvement Project in the world and the first of its kind in Los Angeles.
Glumac uses a number of innovative green techniques that improve occupant comfort while reducing energy consumption, such as refrigerated candles and complete heat recovery equipment.
Source: Comfy.
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