Energy Trust program seeks a path to net-zero

The Energy Trust of Oregon is doling out incentive cash in a new program to jump-start what it and many others interested in a clean energy future hope is a movement toward new buildings that produce at least as much energy as they use.

The Path to Net Zero pilot program is working with 10 selected projects—from a single residence to a 200,000-square-foot commercial project, according to project manager Spencer Moersfelder—that represent both cutting-edge energy design and an opportunity to learn how to create a market for affordable ultra-efficient buildings.

The first of the test projects is expected to come online sometime in 2011.

“We’re hoping the incentives can help people pencil these projects out,” says Moersfelder. “And they’ll help us figure out the process for how to get a project from concept to performance at a net-zero level in ways that make sense.”

The incentives offered as part of the pilot include:

• Up to $10,000 during the early design process to pay for a design charrette focusing on energy and sustainability goals and strategies for  achieving them.
• Up to $50,000 during the technical design phase.
• During installation of systems, up to 20 cents per kilowatt hour and $1.60 per therm saved beyond code.
• After completion, up to $5,000 for overall performance monitoring and up to $20,000 more for system level monitoring.
• Other Energy Trust incentives for renewable power generation will also  be available to these projects through the Trust’s renewables program.

To qualify for the incentive-fueled push to net-zero, the projects needed to be designed to exceed Oregon’s energy code by 50% and to acquire another 10% of the building’s energy needs through added efficiency or renewable generation.

Moersfelder said the goals of this initial pilot are threefold:

• To get developers over to financial hump so net-zero projects make sense for them, planting the seeds for a market for ultra-efficient design and construction.
• To test the design processes for getting from concept to net-zero real-world performance.
• To figure out what set of tiered incentives will most effectively develop a sustainable market for net-zero homes and buildings.

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