How Net-Zero Buildings Can Help The Climate Crisis

The buildings where we live and work can be as big a climate solution as switching to renewable energy. Hal Harvey, an energy and climate expert, explains how net-zero buildings and improved building codes are key to lowering emissions. Buildings consume about 40 percent of all energy, and too much of that energy is wasted. Architects and builders can lower energy needs with better insulation, better windows, more thermal mass and overhangs.

Made in partnership with Grounded.

[andyrossthomson]

Hi YEARS Project, thank you for finally addressing buildings, and the potential that architecture has to limit GHGs. We love Hal's Smart Grid video! That said, please have an Architect address this issue if you develop this content further. As a licensed professional architect and specialist in green buildings, we often review buildings that are now net zero even in cold Canadian climates, which is to say they are 100% electric and produce more energy than they consume, thanks to integral PV, geothermal and air:air heat pumps, plus a number of other strategies from airtightness measures to passive ventilation strategies. We have buildings in Ontario that have been *renovated* to achieve 90% reductions in GHGs and 70% overall reductions in TEDI & TEUI (Thermal Energy Demand Intensity and Total Energy Use Intensity as a function of kWh/m2/yr). *New* buildings are in producing more energy than they consume. In many cases, these buildings do not cost more than conventional construction, and as such amortize the value gained by green measures rapidly, while providing more comfortable and healthy indoor environments. Architects in the USA and Canada are starting to lead with solutions like these, but we have a long way to go to address the 'sunk cost' of carbon and energy in the construction materials and process of building, we can and must do better! Keep up the good work and if you ever wish for a tour of our exemplary projects, please reach out!

[aarononeal]

You all need to talk about Ecosia they are a search engine that plants tress

[alanblanes]

Thanks for a really informative video!

[nancyhirshberg]

I am very sorry (and pretty stunned) that Mr. Harvey didn't say sealing AND insulation. Without sealing the leaks, heat and cold will find their way in and out no matter how much insulation you use. Here in NH where I live this is the critical missing, simple step that people don't take that ruins energy retrofits. I would have loved to use this video in the training sessions that I do but can't because of this big miss.

[johnyadao]

Is it ok to apply net zero energy to a memorial monument?

[stephanosphilippou]

Why does every American video think that they are the only country in the world ?

[soldbyrise]

I disagree that "you need a great building code" is the answer. Frankly, it's complete BS IMHO. What happens when the building code is insufficient? Innovators can't innovate and it blocks any form of creativity to continue to resolve and improve. This is what has happened with our system today. It's over-regulated to the point of castration of effective solutions that allow global emission improvement. It's so ironic when "the answer" to these problems caused by over-regulation of our system by our very own governments that ultimately benefit of mass producers is "more government regulation." What a joke. It's pure insanity. What we need to focus on is getting restrictive building material codes out of the way and opening the floodgates for the endless amounts of building styles that produce their own energy and maintain very low emission use overall.