BOULDER, Colo. — On a global scale, commercial and residential buildings account for 35 percent to 40 percent of total energy consumption, notes Navigant Research. While advances in energy efficient buildings are reducing the energy consumption of many new and existing structures, the spread of zero energy buildings (ZEBs), which generate as much energy over the course of a year as they use, is a primary indicator of aggressive approaches to mitigating the impacts of climate change in the built environment. According to a report from the research firm, worldwide revenue from ZEBs is expected to total nearly $4.6 trillion from 2014 through 2035.

“Governments, corporations, and home builders are pursuing ZEB solutions in order to reduce energy costs and minimize the carbon footprint of their buildings,” said Noah Goldstein, research director with Navigant Research. “A number of large-scale and interesting showcase developments are paving the way for the widespread adoption of ZEBs in a few innovative regions around the world.”