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ZerO-In | Grid Interactive Net Zero Energy Buildings
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Buildings are an important last mile connection to the grid of the future, and demand flexibility offered by buildings and equipment is an opportunity untapped. The ZerO-In platform expands the discussion from a singular net zero building to high performing, smart, connected and flexible developments which have lower environmental impact.
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NZEB team supports Solar Decathlon 2021
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The Solar Decathlon 2021 student competition requires teams to design resilient, net-zero-energy-water buildings for real projects by partnering with the industry. These designs have to be innovative, affordable, practical, and market-ready.
A series of expert webinars are being conducted by the organizing team to mirror topics of the Self-Learning Modules. Tanmay Tathagat, Director - Environmental Design Solutions Pvt Ltd [EDS] kicked off the webinar series on September 5, 2021 with a presentation on building energy performance. He explained how simulations and analysis can be used to optimize building design for high-performance, discussed thermal comfort, energy conservation measures, and gave an overview of the Energy Conservation Building Code.
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The organizing team also conducted a 2-day Faculty Development program on September 17-18, 2021 for faculty leading the competitions teams from various colleges. Deepa Parekh, Associate Director at EDS gave a talk on ‘Mentoring Multidisciplinary teams’ sharing her experiences of working as a professional in such teams across various projects as well as her experience as a faculty having taught and trained a varied group of professionals and students.
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Take the NZEB Quiz for a refresher on fundamentals
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We are bringing back our NZEB quiz for some fun! As we learn new things and move forward, we also need to regularly refresh our knowledge. Here is a quiz on the topic of ‘passive design’. The fundamental step in achieving a low-energy building design is integrating passive design strategies at the concept stage. You can also read more about it in the Knowledge Centre on the NZEB Portal.
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Online training programs to develop skills for high-performance building design
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Improved performance of both new and existing building stock is crucial for reaching our climate goals. With the right skills and continuous professional development, building industry professionals can influence the future built environment. Here is a list of online courses for 2021 that can aid skill development in climate responsive design, building energy simulations, daylight optimization, green building ratings, among many others.
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Webinar recording available: Green Conversations - Organic India Integrated Facility
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On September 16, 2021, we hosted Mr. Balram Singh from Organic India, Ar. Sidhartha Talwar and Ar. Subrata Ray from Studio Lotus and Mr. Gurneet Singh from EDS, who provided an insight into the design of Organic India Integrated Facility at Lucknow. The project is designed in great detail to respond to the climate, local context following an integrated design approach resulting in a building that not only has a low energy footprint but also provides good daylight and indoor environment quality to the occupants. The architects discussed their design process while the sustainability consultant explained the technical inputs given throughout the project and the client expressed the occupant satisfaction of using the spaces as designed.
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Lodsi Community Project for Forest Essentials, India
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This production facility for Forest Essentials located in Uttarakhand integrates indigenous construction techniques and passive design strategies into the design. The North-South oriented butterfly roof form permits the use of large openable windows that take advantage of the prevailing Northeast and Southeast winds for ventilation further providing 80% naturally daylit spaces. The high volume of space with operable clerestory windows helps moderate the indoor temperatures.
Façade shading, WWR (window-to-wall ratio), and building materials were analysed and optimised to provide a high thermal mass façade resulting in an energy-efficient building envelope with an EPI (energy performance index) of 35 kWh/m2/year. Further, a solar roof generating 50kWp not only offsets the facility’s requirements but generates surplus to supply back to the state grid. Read more.
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Responses to last months’ question
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In the context of the IPCC Climate Report, considering a timeline of the year 2050, do you think Net-Zero buildings can help mitigate climate change?
Focus on other sectors since there is not much time
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Scaling up NZEBs will be a game-changer
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Not energy, but the material choice will have a greater impact
Here are the results:
We got 100 responses. There was a clear winner. 72% of votes were for scaling up NZEBs, while 19% of votes were for focusing on other sectors. The remaining 9% of votes went to material choices.
35 billion sqm of new floor area is likely to be added in India by 2050 and if they can all be NZEBs, it can be a game-changer in reducing the CO2 emissions. Avasara Academy, Infosys Pocharam Campus, and Humanscapes are a few of the many examples that showcase energy efficiency as the foundation for achieving buildings with a very low energy footprint.
This time as well, many of you shared your thoughts with us in addition to voting. We have compiled them here for easy access and reading.
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This months’ question for you
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Let us know what you think
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If we need to scale-up NZEBs by 2050 (which is about 30 years from now), what initiative should be a priority in the next 2 years?
Incentive programs
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Training and awareness
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Focused approach on a specific sector (eg. residential)
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Prototype successful projects
To answer, click the button below. The form is anonymous. We will share a summary of the responses next month.
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The Economist: Sustainability Week: Countdown to COP26 | October 4-7, 2021
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Join global corporations, policymakers and investors committed to reversing climate change through innovative thinking at Sustainability Week: Countdown to COP26. Methods to lower emissions, improve sustainability and the transition to renewables that actively protect the environment will be discussed in depth. Learn more.
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Creating Sustainable Cities for the future | October 7, 2021
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CityAge’s Net Zero Cities program will focus on the digital tools, smart infrastructure and innovative design needed to make cities leaders in reducing carbon emissions. Learn more.
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About USAID MAITREE program
USAID-led Market Integration and Transformation for Energy Efficiency program (MAITREE) is a four-year bilateral program with the Ministry of Power. MAITREE supports efforts for moving towards a super-efficient and Net Zero Energy target for new buildings. EDS is the implementing partner of this program.
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