New Zealand Commercial Design Trends Series NZ Commercial Design Trends Vol. 33/03C | Page 121

THE AGE OF NET ZERO
Energy, water and carbon concerns are leading to commercial designers
creating a new generation of clean, green, net zero buildings
Above:Net zero buildings will
almost certainly start to take off,
thanks to new emissions and
energy targets set by the World
Green Building Council.
Did you know that the world’s buildings
account for a third of global greenhouse gas emis-
sions? That’s the latest tally according to the World
Green Building Council (WGBC).
The solution? Net zero buildings.
A relatively new concept, net zero buildings are
extremely energy-efficient, generating their own
power from sustainable sources like wind, solar
and hydro. In some cases, these buildings can even
distribute surplus clean energy back into the grid,
feeding other buildings.
But net zero doesn’t just apply to power. Water
and waste management are of equal importance for
the designers behind these new structures.
You may be asking yourself why the shift to net
zero is so important. The WGBC notes that if cur-
rent greenhouse gas emission rates continue on
the same path, we could be heading for a global
temperature 2°C hotter!
Accordingly, the organisation has set two targets:
all new buildings must operate at net zero from
2030, and all buildings – both new and existing –
must operate at net zero by 2050.
Tough targets indeed. Are commercial designers
up to the challenge? To learn more about net zero
and other sustainable initiatives head to Trends
Commercial on trendsideas.com.
see more online
tinyurl.com/trendscommercial
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