Zero Net Energy (ZNE) Center and IBEW Educational Training Facility, San Leandro, CA

Agency: International Brotherhood of Electrical Works (IBEW)

Morgner’s Role: Project Manager, Feasibility Study, Design and Installation

Project Description:

In 2011, Morgner’s Power Program Director co-developed the Zero Net vision with the client through design, organized financing, oversight of installation, commissioning and monitoring. They studied utilizing state-of-the-art technologies, photovoltaics, wind turbines, solar thermal (domestic hot water and building heating), controls and monitoring to provide a net year end utility bill of zero.

The ZNE Center team engaged in multiple design feasibility studies, considering natural resources, occupancy-specific energy design, project timeline and budget. Through analyzing the energy and construction cost impacts of many sustainability scenarios, the team gained comprehensive insight into which combination of passive/active designs and technologies would meet building performance, use type, and budgetary goals. The ZNE Center is comprised of three campuses and exceeded its energy goal its first year of operation, producing an excess of 69,071 kWh over modeled calculations, and realizing a net savings of more than $15,000 in energy bills. It produced 20.83 kBtu/ft2 of energy in its first year, and consumed 15.32 kBtu/ft2, for a net energy use intensity (EUI) of –5.49 kBtu/ft2.