paleBLUEdot was selected by the City of Eau Claire WI for the development of a City-Wide Net Zero Guide.  The Net Zero Energy (NZE) Design Guide will be developed as both a print document as well as an on-line toolkit. The guide will be developed in two parts: Commercial and Institutional Buildings, and Residential Buildings.  The NZE Guide will be integrated into the City’s Climate and Renewable Energy Action Plan, to be completed by the end of 2019.

The NZE Design Guide will provide an introduction to the concept of Net Zero, common terms, cost considerations, and the purposes and benefits of Net Zero building.  The guide will include a review of building design and construction team structure and approaches for reaching Net Zero for new buildings and existing retrofits, as well as an overview of Net Zero procurement tools and strategies available to building owners.   

paleBLUEdot’s work will include:

1: Community and City Staff Engagement

2: Development of a menu of strategies for achieving Net Zero design organized by building component and aspects and will include links to additional resources.  Strategy categories may include:

NZE Design Fundamentals

Energy Goals and Targets

Subdivision Design

Site Design Strategies

Building Massing

Building Orientation

General Building Design

Building Envelope

Daylighting

Electric Lighting

Plug Loads

Equipment and Appliances

Water Conservation

Heating

HVAC Systems

Renewable Energy / Renewable Ready

Grid-provided Renewables

EV Readiness

Energy Storage

Smart Controls

Construction Phase

Verification

Building Operations

Building Demolition

Financing

Net Zero Leasing

3: Development of NZE Guide Documentation

4: Implementation Training for City Staff and the Design, Real Estate, and Construction community.

The paleBLUEdot team is honored to continue our work with the City of Eau Claire in their on-going sustainability effort. 

The paleBLUEdot team provides a wide range of expert consultant services supporting community resilience, including Climate Action Planning, Sustainability Consulting, and Renewable Energy Planning.  Learn more about paleBLUEdot's Climate and Energy Planning Services.