Net-zero Buildings Made Simple with ICF Construction
Building a net-zero structure is an ambitious goal but designing to this caliber is not as complicated as it might sound. Constructing with energy efficiency in mind takes co-ordination between all the project team members and product research to determine the most long-lasting and cost-effective methods to achieve the necessary standards. While insulation is not the sole contributor to a net-zero building, insulated concrete form (ICF) technology, in combination with other energy-saving practices, can improve a building’s energy efficiency while easing the construction process. WHAT IS NET-ZERO First off, what does it mean for a building to be “net-zero”? This term, popularized in the early 2000s, refers to a structure that consumes and generates equal amounts of energy. Energy consumption includes heating, cooling, water use, lighting, and more. Creating clean, renewable energy and minimizing its use is feasible through an integrated approach of incorporating superior insulation between units and on the exterior building envelope, photovoltaics (PV) for electricity, water conversion and recycling, efficient fenestrations with low conductivity, and geothermal energy. Net-zero structures can be found in residential and commercial sectors, and are becoming more common in education, hospitality, and government projects. Using typical construction methods, energy costs can be particularly high for K-12 schools, apartment [...]
