The benefits and challenges of net-zero energy buildings

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The benefits and challenges of net-zero energy buildings

About the speaker
  • Chris Schaffner
    Chris Schaffner
    CEO and Founder at The Green Engineer Inc.
    Christopher Schaffner, PE, LEED Fellow, is founder and CEO of The Green Engineer, Inc. a sustainable design consulting firm in Concord, MA. Chris has 34 years of experience in the design of building systems with a focus on energy efficiency and sustainability. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, and is a licensed engineer in Massachusetts, California and Vermont. His portfolio includes more than 225 LEED Certified projects. Chris was a charter member of the USGBC LEED Faculty. He currently serves on the Energy and Atmosphere Technical Advisory Group. His long volunteer record with the USGBC includes time as Chair (2019) of the LEED Steering Committee, and a member of the Board of Directors. He is a LEED AP with BD+C, ID+C, and EB+OM specialties. Chris is a Lecturer at Northeastern University in Sustainable Building Systems. He is a member of ASHRAE where he serves as as a volunteer on the ASHRAE 90.1 and ASHRAE 209 Committees. He is a WELL AP, a member of the WELL Faculty, and serves on the WELL Air Advisory.

Key takeaways

Achieving net-zero energy consumption in your building requires a careful balance of efficiency and renewable power generation.

Businesses must be mindful of the initial costs and unfamiliarity that come with net-zero energy consumption implementations.

Ultimately attaining net-zero energy consumption in your building brings huge benefits in terms of costs and reducing reliance on the grid.