Department of Energy Resources (DOER)
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About Energy - Zero Net Energy Buildings
Imagine a future where buildings and homes produce as much energy as they consume, use minimal if any fossil fuels, and contribute, on balance, zero additional carbon to our atmosphere. Imagine a future where the costs of heating, cooling, and operating residential and commercial buildings have been dramatically reduced and where these high-performing buildings are the most sought after properties in the market.
The possibility of realizing this vision is alive and well in Massachusetts. Here, not only has an extraordinary group of seventy building industry professionals and energy experts developed groundbreaking policy recommendations in their recently released Task Force report Getting to Zero, but inspiring examples of these zero (or near zero) net energy buildings already exist. In June, five Massachusetts home builders completed the Zero Energy Challenge easily achieving the requirement of building homes that are 65% more efficient than the current building code, with two homes exceeding zero net energy by actually providing energy back to the grid.
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