ACHIEVING ZERO NET ENERGY GOALS IN CALIFORNIA

​California’s Zero Net Energy Building goals are among the most progressive in the world. California’s Long Term Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan includes statewide goals to have all new homes achieve zero net energy by 2020, and for all new commercial buildings to achieve zero net energy by 2030. Residential and Commercial Zero Net Energy Action Plans have involved extensive inputs from a variety of public and private sector stakeholders over many years.

The focus of the panel was how the California program environment needs to evolve to help push the state towards its ambitious ZNEB goals. Some of the issues we would like to address:

​
​* The appropriateness of the current Total Resource Cost (TRC) test to the ZNEB paradigm


​* Issues of measure life and how they will be calculated for ZNEB-based projects​

​
* The rule that precludes efficiency projects 
​from counting savings attributable to renewablesThe role of deemed programs and performance-based (Energy Use Intensity-based) programs in a ZNEB-focused paradigm​​


* How evaluation must evolve to match, particularly with regards to persistence and behavioral issues

sustaenable*  

Climate change mitigation strategies

​Collaborative Goals to Sustain Our Future

Business Consulting

Prior to the panel discussion, there was an interactive group discussion of alternatives for public-private collaborative task force action. 

Prior meetings identified a possible area for collaborative effort for the group: to provide education and training for ZNEB professionals working in the commercial sector. The group discussed the possibilities for pursuing this alternative, as well as other alternatives for collaborative action.