Community and Multi-building Development’s Key Role in a Net-zero Energy Future

Abstract

It is typically assumed that the renewable energy required by net-
zero energy buildings is produced by photovoltaic (PV) panels located on
individual rooftops. However, this paradigm may produce unintended
consequences by inducing sprawl and the development of low-density,
low-rise buildings with large roof areas to support PV arrays. Further-
more, if other building energy systems, such as heating and cooling, are
constrained to the needs of individual net-zero buildings, the benefits of
diverse multi-building load profiles will fail to be realized.
Instead, a more sustainable approach could be achieved through
multi-building systems which share renewable energy production and
other energy systems, obviating the need for individual buildings to de-
velop separate, small-scale solutions, and placing net-zero goals in reach
of higher-density urban areas. Further, a multi-building approach to
development may have other added benefits, such as reducing strain on
transportation infrastructure and promoting community-oriented develop-
ment.
In a recent report developed by the zero energy Commercial Buildings
Consortium (CBC), industry stakeholders underscored the opportunity and
multiple benefits of multi-building systems, including the ability to aggre-
gate and balance electrical and thermal loads, efficiencies in shared energy
management and equipment maintenance, sharing of other resources, and
elimination of redundant equipment.