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An energy efficient building simply generates as much energy as it uses, a concept known as net zero. With wildly fluctuating energy prices, you benefit from constructing your building with net zero in mind. Not only do you save costs, you're making an essential contribution to protecting the environment. Net zero energy consumption can significantly reduce negative impacts on the environment and green house gas emissions.
From the get-go, keep in mind that energy efficiency should be an integrated process that includes all aspects of your construction project, such as heating, cooling, lighting concepts, as well as the building's envelope; this could include wall and roof insulation which ensures your building is airtight.
Measure your energy consumption
Like any aspect of business, measuring your energy consumption is the only way to ensure that you are meeting your performance objectives. Be sure you have an operational plan in place that specifies targets in key areas such as heating, cooling and air quality. An environmental or building expert can help you put specific measurements in place to see where you can make improvements.
For example, you can measure the environmental performance of your building through rating systems such as LEED. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System can help entrepreneurs identify green design strategies, as well as measure and monitor progress.
Be sure as well that your employees buy into your building energy consumption program and are aware of your objectives. After all, their contribution and input is vital to your success in achieving net zero.
A useful checklist of what you can do
Keep your eye on the market for high performance, energy-efficient systems and equipment. These products evolve quickly, so it's important to stay informed about new developments. Here are some good pointers:
Improve your basic construction materials and the environment
- Use finishing materials that are selected for their low toxicity and minimal environmental impact. Generally speaking, products that are natural or minimally processed are environmentally friendly because there is low risk of chemical releases while they're being manufactured. Example: wood versus plastic. VOCs, volatile organic compounds, like benzene, are mostly produced by sulfur emissions from paper mills, paint factories, and printing presses, and contribute to urban smog; COCs, condensable organic compounds, are fine particles of pollution that condense in the surrounding air, and are produced for example by paper manufacturers
- Use recycled materials
- Reduce construction waste with an efficient waste management program
- Apply insulation techniques such as using straw bales and recycled newspaper in commercial buildings.
Profitability of heat recovery and energy efficiency
- Choose not to burn fossil fuels and avoid using conventional electricity; alternatives can include solar water heaters and wind turbines
- Use special systems that purify fume emissions and reuse the energy required for purification; these systems can recover up to 95% of the heat used, remove all odours and emit only small amounts of gases causing the greenhouse effect
- Install better-insulated water heaters, which hold more heat and can heat water twice as fast as older models
- Apply sustainable design principles such as adding daylight to your building to save you costs. The use of more windows and skylights creates solar power. Some buildings even feature light shelves, which allow for greater infiltration of sunlight
- Try air heating systems that recover leftover heat contained in the steam produced by combustion products, more easily equalize building temperature, and enhance the comfort of its occupants
- Use ground-source heat pumps that can reduce heating and cooling costs by up to 40 per cent
- Purchase radiant heating systems that can reduce energy use considerably
- Use compact fluorescent bulbs that last longer
- Install occupancy sensors that detect human presence and determine when you should use energy
Benefit from government incentives
Invest in meeting environment protection standards and at the same time save costs. Your initial expenses may be higher but your business will save costs in the long run. Most of these systems will provide long years of reuse and the extra cost is amortized over a longer period of time.
There are several government programs, corporate programs, and agencies able to finance a part of your high performance energy system. The Energy Efficiency in New Buildings Program of Natural Resources Canada (Office of Energy Efficiency) provides financial assistance of up to $60,000 for integrating ecology- and energy-saving features into the design of new commercial buildings.
Incentives to purchase high performance energy systems should be written into an energy efficiency plan. The plan should cover past, present, and future activities of your company and will help you more easily obtain financing from certain agencies and government programs.
Employees of the Canadian Industry Program for Energy Conservation, another program of the Office of Energy Efficiency, can help you identify all your needs and provide information on the most economical and efficient means to address greenhouse gas emissions.
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