How Net-zero Buildings Can Work in Places Hit Hard by Climate Change
Amid growing concerns over the dangers of climate change, the built industry is seeing growing interest in net-zero construction. In essence, this means building structures that can generate as much energy as they consume each year.This isn’t a new concept. Danish researchers referenced zero-energy homes in a 1976 study on solar heating. Arguably the first nearly net-zero construction was an 1893 Norse polar ship. But history shows that interest has mostly been prevalent in colder climates. That needs to change as our world heats up.The warming world incentivizes net-zeroThe summer of 2021 saw a record-breaking heatwave across the Pacific Northwest, a region full of structures ill-prepared to deal with such extreme conditions. Many buildings lacked air conditioning, and...
