ZNE for all! Enabling zero net energy retrofits for small commercial offices

The small commercial office market experiences a number of unique barriers to achieving substantial energy reductions. Those barriers include: 1) a lack of awareness of and access to centralized, comprehensive, cost-evaluative information about how to achieve energy targets, and 2) affordable access to energy reduction services such as engineering and auditing services. Energy efficiency tools and services currently involve higher costs on a per-square-foot or kilowatt-hour (kWh)-saved basis. Small commercial buildings are consequently underserved by the energy services market and disadvantaged in accessing the same detailed retrofit information that larger buildings realize. Meeting national and state energy goals requires whole-building integrated solutions that enable this sector to realize deep energy savings successfully and affordably. This project developed cost-effective retrofit packages of commercial, whole-building integrated systems to achieve zero net energy (ZNE) performance for California multi-story small commercial offices. The energy efficiency measure (EEM) packages target 50% energy savings over existing energy use, with costs within 10% of conventional-performance construction costs, and internal rates of return (IRR) of 5% or more. The developed packages of EEMs are validated for energy performance, as well as visual and thermal comfort, under both controlled laboratory test conditions for emerging technologies and demonstrated in an occupied small commercial building. Validated EEMs were built into an online public software platform that enables small commercial facilities to conduct whole-building retrofit assessments, relevant to their building, providing cost-evaluative feedback on EEMs and packages of measures