ATLANTA — The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) announced that it will be hosting a special conference on the topic of market-viable net-zero-energy buildings.

“We have a reached a time when the building industry is being called to shift to a new level of performance that will reduce our energy and carbon footprint,” said Bill Harrison, ASHRAE president. “It is time to advance net-zero-energy building knowledge.”

ASHRAE’s “Countdown to a Sustainable Energy Future...Net-Zero and Beyond” conference will take place March 29-31 at Hyatt at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. The conference will provide a forum to discuss the role of policy and regulatory involvement in addition to providing application knowledge for the various aspects of net-zero-energy building for both residential and commercial buildings. It will include building science, energy efficiency in HVAC, lighting and appliances, and renewable energy sources applied to buildings.

ASHRAE defines net-zero-energy buildings as those which, on an annual basis, use no more energy from the utility grid than is provided by on-site renewable energy sources. These buildings use 50 to 70 percent less energy than comparable traditional buildings, and the remaining energy use comes from renewable sources, like solar panels or wind turbines incorporated into the facility itself, said Harrison.

He noted that the state of California recently announced its goal of new residential developments being net-zero-energy by 2020 and new commercial developments being net-zero by 2030.

“As the industry seeks solutions to these challenges, ASHRAE must be there to help disseminate the knowledge,” he said.

To register or for more information on the conference, visit www.ashrae.org/netzeroconference.

Publication date: 12/22/2008