by Shane Henson — June 27, 2012—Net zero buildings will be much more commonplace in the future as a variety of factors—including concerns about corporate image in an increasingly sustainability-focused marketplace, cost decreases in emerging technologies, and more stringent government regulations—are making constructing highly energy efficient buildings both a desire and a need for business owners, finds a new report from cleantech market intelligence firm Pike Research.
Pike Research’s Zero Energy Buildings report forecasts that worldwide revenue from zero energy buildings will grow rapidly over the next 20 years, reaching almost $690 billion by 2020 and nearly $1.3 trillion by 2035.
“Zero energy buildings constitute only a small fraction of the overall green building market today,” says Pike Research senior analyst Eric Bloom. “While several dozen buildings of this type have been constructed in the United States, and while the Passivhaus movement in Europe is achieving zero energy in many residential and commercial buildings, the market as a whole remains essentially dormant. That is changing as advances in building technology provide breakthrough solutions to energy efficiency and renewable energy challenges, while driving down costs for existing technologies.”
For example, says Pike Research, electrochromic glass technology, which has only been introduced to the construction industry in the last few years, will continue to improve in terms of durability and performance while dropping in cost over the next few decades, providing a strong alternative to conventional glazing systems. The same could be said of innovative energy storage technologies and LED (light-emitting diode) lighting. In parallel with a series of regulatory measures mandating zero energy building construction in commercial and residential buildings, primarily in the European Union and North America, these advances will expand the zero energy building sector beyond a niche market over the next few decades.
The report provides data on the size and growth of the market for zero energy building markets, including heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, glazing systems, wall and roof construction, renewable energy systems, and construction soft costs, from 2011 through 2035. The study also includes a qualitative assessment of major drivers and trends for zero energy buildings in key markets, including both commercial and residential zero energy buildings. It also provides a discussion of the individual technology elements associated with zero energy building, as well as the design challenges that architecture/engineering/construction (A/E/C) service providers will face in delivering zero energy buildings.
