Presentation delivered on April 26th, 2019, at the CABEC Conference in Asilomar. It looks at why we need to shift from current 'net zero' framework to one that connects directly to GHG outputs, and includes a few hot takes on where the current issues lie and how to fix them.

1. Bronwyn Barry, RA, CPHD
CABEC Conference
April 2019
EQUITABLE NET ZERO
Renewable Source Energy
& the All Electric Future
As Developed by:

2. 1. Asking the right Questions
2. Setting good targets
3. Sample projects
4. New opportunities
5. Suggestions for progress…
AGENDA
IMAGE credit: Bronwyn Barry, Cornell Tech Passive House Tower, NYC

3. Is all ’Net Zero’ created equal?
Image credit: National Renewable Energy Laboratory

4. Can we ‘equalize’ for tall?
Image credit: National Renewable Energy Laboratory

5. Can we ‘equalize’ for cold?
Image credit: National Renewable Energy Laboratory

6. What about high EUI buildings?
Image credit: National Renewable Energy Laboratory

7. Are all buildings equal?
BASIC PRINCIPLES
1. Manages ‘Loss’
1. Driven by:
Comfort
Quality
Durability
3. Credits renewables
separately
SOURCE: Image – California’s All Renewable Energy Future by Bronwyn Barry, CPHD

8. Are all buildings equal?
BASIC PRINCIPLES
1. Manages ‘Loss’
1. Driven by:
Comfort
Quality
Durability
3. Credits renewables
separately
SOURCE: Image – California’s All Renewable Energy Future by Bronwyn Barry, CPHD

9. Are these both ‘Net Zero?’
SOURCE: Image credit: Stephan Polantzas

10. Let’s start with real numbers
Source: https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/documents/63492
The Palo Alto Report….

11. How do we use energy?
Source: https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/documents/63492
Palo Alto’s Pie….
Space Heating
Interior Lighting
Water Heating
Cooking
Cooling
Refrigeration
Ventilat…
Office Eqpt
Misc
Exterior LightingMotors
ProcessAir Compressors
Water Heating
Space Heating
Lighting
Refrigerators and Freezers
Plug Loads
Cooling
Pools and Spas
Dishwasher and Cooking
Laundry
Misc
Pools, Spas, Miscellaneous
Residential
Buildings
30%
Commercial
Buildings
70%

12. What needs to shift?
Source: https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/documents/63492
(52%)

13. 41%
20%
2%
37%
18%
1%
15%
9%
4%
0%
7%
14%
0%
15%
28%
0%
8%
14%
0%
6%
14%
Emissions Energy Use Electricity Use
Annual Energy Use as a Percentage of Total Palo Alto Building Energy Use
Space Heating Water Heating Cooking Cooling Lighting Refrigeration Plug Loads
Source: https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/documents/63492
78%!
What needs to shift?

14. PROJECT EXAMPLE (MY OWN DESIGN)
SOURCE: One Sky Homes ALAMO PASSIVHAUS

15. PROJECT STATS
Alamo - CA Climate Zone 12
HDD & CDD 2602 1578
Area & TFA 2968 SF 2342 SF
Net Annual Energy Use &
Production 10,707 kWh 12,767 kWh
PV 7.5 kW
Gas/Electric Split All Electric
Mech systems
Heat Pump,
HRV
Heat Pump
WH
NOMINALY THIS IS A PLUS ENERGY HOME…

16. ASSEMBLIES (hr.ft2.F/BTU)
ROOF/CLG: R-38
CODE REQ’D
R-46
WALLS: R-19 R-28
WINDOWS: U-0.57
FLOOR/SLAB: R-0 R-14
U-0.3
AS BUILT
AIR TIGHTNESS: 3 ACH n50 0.3 ACH
COMPARED TO 2016 T-24 CODE REQUIREMENTS
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/can-california-
decarbonize-electricity-without-energy-
california/
PALO ALTO COMPARISON:

17. EUI = 9.5
-15000
-10000
-5000
0
5000
10000
PV
Production
HouseUse EV
Charger
Net +
kWh/yr
WITH NET METERING MATH THE NUMBERS LOOK GREAT!

18. PRACTICALLY THIS HOME STILL NEEDS A GRID!
Annual Energy Use vs Generation Gap

19. SOURCE: https://passipedia.org/certification/passive_house_categories/per#the_per_sustainability_assessment,
OPTIMIZING FOR AN ALL RENEWABLE GRID
New DESIGN
incentives
needed

20. 4.75 kBTU/hr.ft2.yr
or 15 kWh/m2yr
3.2 BTU/hr.ft2
or 10 W/m2
n50 < 0.6 ACH
(PER SLIDING SCALE)
Heating Demand:
or
Peak Heat Load:
Air-tightness:
Total Primary Energy:
Image Credit: Andrew Michler
Cooling Limits
adjusted for
Humid Climates:
SET CLEARTARGETS

21. THREE RENEWABLE ENERGY CERTIFICATION LEVELS
Energy Supply from Renewable Resources
Final Energy Demand at the BuildingPER =
INCENTIVIZES:
1. Total Demand Reduction & Peak Load Shifting
2. Fuel switching to all-electric with heat pumps
3. Regional renewable grid efficiencies
4. Allows local and off-site renewable credits
5. Seasonal storage of renewables at utility scale
6. Urban density & equitable renewable credit for all buildings
SOURCE:
https://passipedia.org/certification/passive_house_categories/per#the_per_sustainability_assessment

22. Revisiting UTILIZATION FACTORS
SOURCE: https://sustainabilityworkshop.autodesk.com/buildings/measuring-building-energy-use

23. WE KNOW THIS MUST BE REGIONAL
SOURCE: Image - http://www.theenergycollective.com/aqgilbert/2322195/us-electricity-system-15-maps, Data: Passive House Academy
kWh of Source Energy per kWh of delivered electricity (2004)
National: 3.315
Western: 2.853
ERCOT: 3.574
Alaska: 3.568
Hawaii: 3.1917
Eastern: 3.394

24. Nuclear
North East
Hydro North
West
Windy
Great
Plains
Coal
Midwest
Solar
Coasts
Gas
Everywhere!
Solar
Coasts
Gas
Everywhere!
WE KNOW EACH GRID IS DIFFERENT

25. SOURCE: Illustrations by Bronwyn Barry, info: https://passipedia.org/certification/passive_house_categories/per#the_per_sustainability_assessment
1. Total
Demand
Reduction
Allocated by:
§ Electricity
§ Hot Water
§ Heating
§ Cooling
§ Dehumidification
2. Seasonal Energy
Demand
3. Regional Grid
Renewable Supply
Accounts for:
§ Wind
§ Solar PV
§ Hydro
~ Biomass
~ District Heat
4. Building
Site & Size
6. Renewable
Storage
kWh of:
§ Short-term &
§ Long-term energy
5. Regional
Peak Load
Incentivizes Load
shifting according to:
§ Demand Type
§ Daily Peak Use
§ Seasonal Peak
7. Appliance
Energy Source
Incentivizes fuel
switching to electric
heat pumps
Accounts for:
§ Local renewable availability
§ Building size vs roof area
§ Supply vs Demand balance
§ Viable short- vs long-term
storage
IDENTIFIES TIME & TYPE OF ENERGY USE (~ TDV)

26. WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKEFOR CALIFORNIA

27. CALIFORNIA’SPRIMARY ENERGY RENEWABLE FACTORS

28. CALIFORNIA’SPRIMARY ENERGY RENEWABLE FACTORS

29. CALIFORNIA’SPRIMARY ENERGY RENEWABLE FACTORS

30. SOURCE: Illustration from ‘California’s All Renewable Energy Future’ by Bronwyn Barry
HOW PRIMARY ENERGY RENEWABLE (PER) IS STRUCTURED
Rejects the Net Metering
calculation of ‘ZNE’…
1. Assumes a future all-
renewable energy grid
2. Accommodates current
fossil fuel supply (and
penalizes it slightly)
3. Focuses on Peak Loads
4. Accounts for short- and
long-term energy storage

31. BASIC PRINCIPLES
1. Manages ‘Loss’
1. Driven by:
Comfort
Quality
Durability
3. Credits renewables
separately
SOURCE: Image – California’s All Renewable Energy Future by Bronwyn Barry, CPHD
RENEWABLE CREDITS
ALLOCATED BY
Projected Building
Footprint
Incentivizes large-scale
and micro-grid
renewable supply.
Off-site generation
allowed for Premium Tier.
Does not penalize commercial,
tall, shaded or urban infill projects
with no site generation capacity.
APPLIEDEQUITABLY ACROSS ALL BUILDINGS

32. BASIC PRINCIPLES
1. Manages ‘Loss’
1. Driven by:
Comfort
Quality
Durability
3. Credits renewables
separately
PRIORITIZES DEMAND
REDUCTION
Renewable sources
given beneficial
‘Primary Energy
Renewable’ factors
Credits allocated to:
On-site generation
Off-site generation
Green Roofs
(Regional grid supply
factored into this
calculus.)
SOURCE: Image – California’s All Renewable Energy Future by Bronwyn Barry, CPHD
SUMMARYOF RENEWABLE ENERGY FRAMEWORK

33. Image Credits: Bronwyn Barry
WORKS FOR ALL BUILDING TYPES
(Works for large
buildings too)

34. APPLICABLE TO ALL BUDGETS
SOURCE:
Image Credits: Bronwyn Barry

35. CAN BE PHASED FOR RETROFITS
SOURCE:
Image Credits: Bronwyn Barry

36. APPLICABLE FOR TALL & URBAN INFILL
Image Source: Passive House Institute
Image Credit: Twitter feed of VArqitectos

37. How’s my energy modeling?
IMAGE credit: Allen Gilliland, One Sky Homes
Predictably reliable results
based on actual
measurements!
(NO PERFORMANCE GAP!)
PHPP kWh/a HP COP EST. ACT.
HEAT 2,596 3 865 849
COOL 1,533 3 511 594

38. DIGGING INTO MY TITLE 24
Huge improvement
where it matters!
No credit
where it
counts!!!

39. DIGGING INTO MY TITLE 24
Huge improvement
where it matters!
Penalty
where it
counts!!!

40. DIGGING INTO MY DETAILS

41. DIGGING INTO MY PHPP TAKE-OFFS

42. 1. We must connect our energy code to GHG reduction targets
2. Space heating and hot water are our highest building GHG emitters
3. Current (and 2019) Title 24 Code still favors gas
4. Current T-24 framework should highlight heating use
5. We need to identify a FINITE END GOAL for building energy use.
6. Architects (like myself!) can use the Passive House Planning Package
(PHPP.)
SUMMARY (& SUGGESTIONS)

43. POLICY:
• 2019 REACH CODE analysis for Mid-Rise
Buildings (http://www.passivehousecal.org/news/reach-code-
study-reveals-big-opportunities-improve-cas-multifamily-buildings
• PHPP verified via ASHRAE 140
• White Papers outlining PH targets vs. T-24
TRAINING:
• Grant from SoCal Edison to train professionals
focused on Multifamily Buildings
• Host regular CPHD trainings across California
PUBLIC AWARENESS:
• Presentations & conferences hosted to
educate professionals & policymakers
• Open House Days
PHCA
UPDATES

44. PUBLICATIONSAND DATABASE DEVELOPMENT
Passive House Buildings
CALIFORNIA’S
ENERGY FUTURE
Published in 2016
32 Projects featured from
Northern, Central & Southern CA
3000 hard copies printed
Free E-Book:
http://passivehousecal.org/news/2016-passive-house-california-book

45. SOURCE: http://passivehousecal.org/news/2016-passive-house-california-book
GROWINGDIVERSITY OF PROJECT TYPES
RENOVATIONS ~40% OFFICE & MULTI-FAMILY ~5% NEW HOMES ~55%

46. SOURCE: http://www.passivehousecal.org/recent-member-projects
EXPANDINGWEBSITE DATABASE
65+ PASSIVE HOUSE BUILDINGS
CURRENTLY IN CALIFORNIA
(2008 – 2016)

47. LEARN MORE:TRAININGS WITH NAPHN
BASIC PRINCIPLES
1. Manages ‘Loss’
1. Driven by:
Comfort
Quality
Durability
3. Credits renewables
separately
SOURCE: Image – California’s All Renewable Energy Future by Bronwyn Barry, CPHDSOURCE: Xavier Guacher Twitter feed of Passive House Academy Class in LA at Gensler, LA
Los Angeles – May 2019
Emeryville – October 2019
www.naphnetwork.org or www.passivehousecal.org

48. CONFERENCE:JUNE 2019 IN NEW YORK
BASIC PRINCIPLES
1. Manages ‘Loss’
1. Driven by:
Comfort
Quality
Durability
3. Credits renewables
separately
https://naphnconference.com/

49. CONFERENCE:SEPTEMBER 2019 IN CHINA
BASIC PRINCIPLES
1. Manages ‘Loss’
1. Driven by:
Comfort
Quality
Durability
3. Credits renewables
separately
https://passivhaustagung.de/en/

50. SOURCE MATERIAL:
§ Passive House Institute: passivehouse.com
§ ‘The PER Sustainability Assessment,’ Passipedia.org
§ Andre Harrmann, CertiPHiers & Harrmann Consulting
§ Bronwyn Barry, ‘California’s All-Renewable Energy Future’
RECOMMENDED READING:
https://passipedia.org/certification/passive_house_categories/per#the_per_
sustainability_assessment
https://passipedia.org/basics/passive_house_-
_assuring_a_sustainable_energy_supply/passive_house_the_next_decade
SOURCE: Image – Sunnyvale Low Energy Renovation –designed by Bronwyn Barry
THANK YOU
Bronwyn Barry, RA, CPHD
Email: bronwyn@naphnetwork.org
THANKS, & CREDITS