There are 580 zero energy buildings in the United States and Canada, according to the New Buildings Institute’s 2019 count of certified, verified and emerging projects–a tenfold increase since 2012.
Of the documented projects, the median gross site energy use intensity (EUI) is 22 kBtu per square foot per year. That means zero energy-verified buildings on average use 60% less energy than other comparable existing U.S. commercial buildings and 46% less than new buildings under California’s Title 24.
Advancements that have aided the rise in zero energy buildings include solar shading, radiant heating, energy recovery systems and plug load reductions.
