By Michael Mock, Vice President Industry Development, The Electrical Alliance
California is well recognized as a national leader in energy-saving and sustainable building practices. Going beyond simply reducing energy consumption, our friends in Los Angeles recently completed construction of a building that produces more energy than it consumes.
The building, known as the Net-Zero Plus Electric Training Institute (NZP-ETI), is the largest net zero plus commercial building retrofit in the United States. The 144,000 square-foot facility houses a state-of-the-art training center for electricians and apprentices and is jointly funded by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 11 and Los Angeles Chapter of National Electrical Contractors Association.
Two amazing facts about the Net Zero Plus facility:
- Annually, it produces 185,000 kilowatts more energy than it consumes
- CO2 emissions are reduced by 520 metric tons per year
The Training Institute describes itself as “a living laboratory on advanced and emerging clean energy technologies showcasing the future of smart energy-efficiency design, microgrid system integration, energy storage solutions, building resiliency in the wake of natural disasters or grid interruptions, and a suite of integrated electrical technologies and controls.” In addition, the center is open for tours by building owners, real estate developers and architects interested in the cutting edge technologies focused on making the world a little greener.
For more information, go to http://nzp-eti.com/building-design-energy-efficiency/.
