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Library | Item Barcode | Call Number | Material Type | Item Category 1 | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... | 30000010370064 | TH880 H86 2019 | Open Access Book | Book | Searching... |
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Summary
Summary
What do we mean by net zero energy? Zero operating energy? Zero energy costs? Zero emissions? There is no one answer: approaches to net zero building vary widely across the globe and are influenced by different environmental and cultural contexts.
Net Zero Energy Building: Predicted and Unintended Consequencespresents a comprehensive overview of variations in 'net zero' building practices. Drawing on examples from countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong, and China, Ming Hu examines diverse approaches to net zero and reveals their intended and unintended consequences.　
Existing approaches often focus on operating energy: how to make buildings more efficient by reducing the energy consumed by climate control, lighting, and appliances. Hu goes beyond this by analyzing overall energy consumption and environmental impact across the entire life cycle of a building--ranging from the manufacture of building materials to transportation, renovation, and demolition. Is net zero building still achievable once we look at these factors?
With clear implications for future practice, this is key reading for professionals in building design, architecture, and construction, as well as students on sustainable and green architecture courses.
Author Notes
Ming Huis an Assistant Professor at the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, University of Maryland, USA. She teaches technology courses which focus on the integration of architectural design with structural, materials, and building performance assessment. She is an architectural practitioner, educator, and researcher with expertise in high-performance building design, life cycle assessment, building performance measurement, and benchmarking. She has more than 14 years' experience of working on international high-profile projects in firms including HOK's Washington, DC office. Her background includes training in the architectural discipline and years of practice across disciplines, which gives her a unique perspective and ability to weave these fields together in her research.
Reviews 1
Choice Review
Well illustrated with tables, diagrams, and photographs, this detailed account of the net zero building movement opens with net zero history and proceeds to chapters on the (contested) definition of net zero worldwide; its predicted impact and economic and sociopolitical consequences; its economic, regulatory, environmental, health, and technological drivers; its new materials and technologies; and the problems of defining and assessing net zero. The book concludes with case studies of carbon-neutral projects in or near three cities: Hamburg, Germany; Malmo, Sweden; and Tianjin in Sino-Singapore. Hu (School of Architecture, Univ. of Maryland) explains that until now "the focus has been on individual building performance and energy concentration, while other large ecosystems and the human health impact are missing from the definition of zero energy building" (p. 134). Hu's intention to expose the complexities of the net zero building concept to policy makers, strategic planners, and design professionals has resulted in an indispensable resource of value well beyond her stated goals. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students, researchers, faculty, professionals. --Jack Quinan, emeritus, independent scholar
