Net Zero Energy Buildings
With the Mayor’s announcement of Burlington Electric Department’s Net Zero Energy roadmap, the City intends to act as a leader in the path toward a net zero energy future for Burlington.
The largest piece of the roadmap is creating efficient, electrified buildings. Reducing energy use and demand in City-owned buildings is a critical first step to complement building electrification, a goal that aligns with the Burlington 2030 District goals. As a member of the Burlington 2030 District, the City has committed to reducing energy consumption by 50% in existing buildings and building to net zero energy standards in new construction.
The Net Zero Energy Buildings Pyramid, shown below, was developed by the Burlington Electric Department to help building owners visualize the actionable steps to reach net zero energy use in their buildings. The level and size of the layers of the pyramid signify the importance of each step in relation to its impact on other steps in the pyramid, cost-effectiveness, and return on investment.
The base of the pyramid indicates the types of projects that have the highest impact. As you move up the pyramid, the impact decreases (though all are important pieces of the puzzle). Completing projects at the bottom of the pyramid increases the benefits of projects that fit into the upper layers.
The BTVStat department of the City of Burlington reports on progress toward Net Zero Energy in some City-owned buildings on their Energy Benchmarking City Buildings dashboard.