One of the advantages offered by high efficiency design is a path to buildings which generate as much or more energy than they consume.
ABA offers services in the following areas to aid in Net Zero/Net Positive Design and Evaluation:
The first step to reach Net Zero Energy utilization is to optimize the building envelope and mechanical system design to minimize energy required to heat, cool, provide hot water and operate the home. At that point solar thermal and photovoltaic generation may be used to offset remaining levels of consumption. In order to properly size these offset systems a detailed energy model of the home is constructed.
Attaining a Net Zero Energy goal can be highly dependent on owner behavior, even in very efficient homes. Comparison of modeling results with monitored performance allows the homeowner to correlate use patterns with consumption. With this data, informed decisions can be made on how to address discrepancies in order to reach desired goals.
