Race To Zero Student Design Competitionrace-to-zero_logo_0

The Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has opened registration for the Race to Zero Student Design Competition. The Race to Zero is an annual competition, open to students and faculty from any interested collegiate institution in the United States and Canada. This competition will help provide the next generation of architects, engineers, construction managers, and entrepreneurs with skills and experience to start careers in clean energy and generate creative solutions to real-world problems. Read more about the Race to Zero Competition.

 


Double Net Zero Home

A ‘double zero energy’ home – net zero energy and net zero water consumption – has been launched in the US, as a result of the partnership between the solar manufacturer and developer SunPower and homebuilder KB Home. Double ZeroHouse 3.0, as KB Home has called it, builds on the company’s concept of a net zero energy dwelling by adding ‘net zero’ water consumption to its existing energy efficiency measures. The house’s water systems recycle water used for washing dishes and other applications, for toilet flushes and other non-potable uses. The maker claims that up to 70% of the fresh water used can be conserved in this way. Read more about this home in California.


 

Japan Pushes for Net Zero Standard for New Buildings

Japan is aggressively pushing forward with an initiative to make all new public buildings zero-energy by 2020 and private buildings zero energy by 2030. The latest zero-energy building in Japan is an office building in Tokyo that has solar panels not only on the roof, but on the walls, generating all the power that it needs. Read more about Japan’s efforts.