Buildings or developments that are verified and certified as “net zero operational energy and/or carbon.” The building should demonstrate the highest levels of energy efficiency with the use of either renewables generated onsite or renewable energy procured offsite.
The building that originally housed Integral Group’s San Jose design studio was designed to meet 100 percent of its net energy requirements using renewable energy from photovoltaics. The project transformed a commonplace building—a 60s era concrete, windowless bank—into something extraordinary for our times. It’s one of the first commercial buildings in the United States to be designed to a “Z2” energy efficiency goal— Zero Net Energy and zero carbon emissions. Furthermore, this was the first office building to be certified Zero Net Energy by the International Living Future Institute. The building is fit with a fully integrated, grid-tied, net-metering, photovoltaic system sized to provide 100 percent of the net energy requirements allowing it to make zero contribution to global warming. The site is about 34,000 square feet and includes a large parking that was removed and replaced with water efficient landscaping.
The project transformed a commonplace building—a 60s era concrete, windowless bank—into something extraordinary for our times.
