NRCan's CANMET Energy Technology Centre helps buildings generate as much energy as they use.

Natural Resources Canadas (NRCan) CANMET Energy Technology Centre (CETC) in Ottawa works with private and public sector partners to develop and deploy leading-edge energy products and processes. One innovative process enables commercial developers to design buildings that produce as much energy as they use.

Can a building go beyond simple energy efficiency and become energy self-sufficient? "Absolutely,' says François Dubrous, Team Manager for Sustainable Buildings and Communities. "We calculated that there's enough renewable energy out there to get a building to produce more energy than it consumes. But the building must first be properly designed and operated, so we developed our Integrated Design Process.”

The Integrated Design Process (IDP) is a radical new method that unites all participants, from architects to landscapers, in the design and construction of a commercial building. Rather than approach a building’s design from a single point of view — for example, an aesthetic one — IDP pools everyone’s knowledge and expertise to determine the most suitable energy-efficiency options for the building and its owner. In fact, the owner — well beyond the usual role of only having the final say on risk level and costs — is fully engaged as a team player in IDP’s highly interactive decision-making approach to design.

IDP evolved from a pilot program in which industry built commercial buildings to operate at 50-percent energy efficiency. The ultimate level of efficiency — where a building produces as much energy as it consumes — is called Net Zero, and to reach it requires a radical re-examination of today’s practices. And Net Zero is precisely what IDP aims for.

So how do you get a Net Zero building? Net Zero construction is based on the principle that only careful design — one that already is highly energy-efficient — can offer the best opportunities for further energy savings through technological innovation. Such, for example, is the case with the Mayo Replacement School in the Yukon. Because it was already operating at 50-percent energy efficiency, the school building only needed the simple technology of custom-sized awnings to reduce the need for air conditioning in summer.

“If a Net Zero building is possible in the Yukon, then it is definitely possible in most of Canada,” says Stephen Pope, Sustainable Design Specialist, also with CETC’s Sustainable Buildings and Communities group.

Because of the importance of initial design considerations, IDP is recognized as an absolute requisite for creating a Net Zero building. As well as the environmental benefits that IDP offers, the potential savings in energy costs can be substantial. At present, however, these savings can be expected only over the long term, since many of the technologies that build upon good design still need to mature.

But then saving money is not the only incentive for the wider use of IDP, as Stephen points out. “By improving the well-being of their employees — such as through cleaner air, better temperature control and the use of natural light — companies in such buildings might realize less absenteeism and other significant workplace benefits.”

To find out more, visit NRCan’s Web site on the Integrated Design Process.

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This article originally appeared January 15, 2008 in Natural Elements.