A Review of the Current Net-Zero Energy and Net-Zero Carbon Certification Programs

For some time now, the ultimate goal for building sustainability, at least with regard to energy and carbon, has been the achievement of net-zero energy (NZE). The original definition is fairly well known and understood—that of producing all of the building’s annual energy needs with onsite renewable energy; but that original definition, which I’ll call NZE 1.0, is now all but defunct.  

Until recently, there was just one game in town with regard to NZE or net-zero carbon (NZC) certification. That was the International Living Future Institute’s (ILFI) NZE standard, which, by introducing its offsite renewable procurement option several years back, started laying the groundwork for moving away from the original NZE 1.0 definition. It’s worth mentioning that there was also a DOE definition for NZE, but it wasn’t ever a certification program and isn’t widely used or referenced.