How Much Does Zero Energy Building Cost?

Developers, building owners, and design teams often point to initial capital costs as the primary obstacle hindering the uptake of net-zero buildings. In-depth research and an understanding of whether net-zero buildings cost more to design and construct are still scattered and non-systemic. Accordingly, this study provides the first comprehensive investigation into actual net-zero building construction costs in the United States, based on qualitative and quantitative research. The aims of this research are to: (1) provide a comprehensive survey of the existing body of literature to aggregate the findings and identify the consensus and pattern, (2) compare the results and analyze the evidence with a focus on quantitative studies, and (3) conduct a quantitative comparative analysis of twelve built zero energy buildings (ZEB) in order to understand whether there is enough evidence of cost differences between ZEB, conventional building (CB) and green building (GB). Statistical tests were performed, with the results showing no significant differences between actual ZEB costs and modeled CB costs. Further details investigated the cost difference between actual ZEB and modeled GB. The findings of this research provide initial detailed insights into net-zero building costs in the United States, which may benefit the promotion of ZEB practices.

https://doi.org/10.35483/ACSA.AM.108.7

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ISBN
978-1-944214-26-5