Feasibility Study for a Net-Zero Energy Campus Retrofit

In order to realize significant decreases in the United States’ dependence on fossil fuels, many commercial buildings must become net-zero energy in the near future. In addition to netzero energy new construction, many buildings must also be retrofit to be net-zero energy. Compared to new construction, which only represents about two percent of the existing building stock in any given year, retrofitting existing facilities to meet net-zero energy standards presents difficult technical and economical challenges (Brown, Southworth, & Stovall, 2005). Foremost among these challenges are the lack of usable space for renewable energy installations and the cost of both renewable energy systems and energy-efficiency improvement projects. This paper first discusses a path to net-zero energy for the Akron Zoo campus that may be a model for other commercial facilities. This path includes aggressive energy-efficiency combined with on-site renewable energy installations. Next, the analysis focuses on major implementation constraints, particularly on limited usable space for renewable energy generation. Further, economic comparisons between energy-efficiency and renewable energy are used to determine optimal economic decisions. Next we present analysis of possible energyefficiency opportunities and how we arrived at unexpected conclusions. Finally, we present conclusions that support the Akron Zoo’s capability to achieve net-zero energy status.