We hear a lot about “zero net energy” these days, but what is it? How does it work? Most importantly, in these days of dwindling petroleum reserves and the increasing awareness of the environmental costs of coal and nuclear, how is it being realized?

The term “zero net energy” (ZNE) is applied to buildings that produces approximately the same amount of energy that it uses. These ZNE buildings produce their energy through a number of ways, the primary methods at present being a combination of wind and solar. Most of these buildings still depend on the grid, due to the vagaries of the weather. However, there are a couple of projects on the West Coast that are pointing to a very promising future in this regard.

One of these is the Zero Net Energy Center in the San Francisco Bay Area community of San Leandro. This building is a showcase for a variety of green energy technologies as well as construction techniques that all together enable this model building to function using only a quarter of the energy required by other structures of similar size and purpose. In addition to wind power generation and generous use of solar panels, the structure itself is oriented and constructed in such a way as to take fullest advantage of natural lighting and the sun’s radiant heat (known as passive heating). The structure also incorporates advanced lighting controls as well as passive ventilation systems that help to cool the interior during the summer months.

The ZNE Center in San Leandro is so efficient that it has been awarded to LEED Silver designation by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Another model project has been undertaken in the Oregon city of Salem. The Salem Smart Power Grid addresses one of the more problematic aspects of achieving the green energy ideal – which has to do with power storage. Even with traditional energy sources such as coal, oil and nuclear-fired power plants and even hydroelectric, it has been difficult to store electrical energy during periods of abundance and low demand in order to make it available when supplies are low and demand is high. The problem is even more difficult when energy is derived from renewable sources such as wind and the sun.

In simple terms, the solution in Salem is to take green energy generated by the local private utility, which is sent in the form of alternating current (AC), bring it into the center where an inverter converts it into direct current (DC), then directs it to an array of storage batteries. This center is the most advanced of its kind, and is definitely pointing the way forward toward a fossil-fuel free energy future.

What is significant about both projects is that they require a three-way partnership between government, private industry and organized labor (in this case, the National Electrical Contractors Association and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers). In a day and age in which all three of these institutions have taken more than their fair share of criticism and have been at odds with each other more often than not, it is refreshing – not to mention educational – to see what can be accomplished when the three entities work together for the common good.

Learn more about the NECA and IBEW Zero Net Energy Center