Design for a Carbon-Free Life: The Pursuit of “Net” Zero Energy

A Growing Number of Projects Focus Attention On An Elusive Goal .

October 2007

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By Molly Miller

Instructions

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Questions:

Program Code: 107GSSP1
LU: 1

1. The non-profit organization, Architecture 2030, advocates all except which?
a. It calls for an immediate 50 percent reduction in fossil fuel use in new buildings
b. It calls for a 20 percent reduction in fossil fuel use within 30 years
c. It calls for climate-neutral buildings by the year 2030
d. It calls for a dramatic reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from buildings

2. Zero carbon refers to which condition?
a. a building consumes no non-renewable energy
b. an organization purchases carbon offsets or credits sold on an open market that finance renewable energy projects
c. a building’s carbon emissions are offset by the generation of energy through non-carbon-emitting means
d. a building produces more renewable energy on site on an annual basis than any non-renewable energy it consumes

3. Energy-saving technologies appropriate for a residential construction would be all except which?
a. Energy Star appliances
b. high-performance windows
c. incandescent lighting
d. dense pack insulation

4. Reaching a zero-energy goal requires all except which in the design process?
a. engineering to meet the codes
b. a team effort
c. collaboration among design disciplines
d. an integrated design process

5. To reach its zero-energy goal, the Solar 2 design team is focusing on all except which?
a. energy load reduction
b. thermal efficiency
c. energy sources
d. low density construction

6. The advantages of on-site combined heat and power (CHP) plants are all except which?
a. less energy is lost than would be in transmission and conversion of
utility-supplied electricity
b. CHP can be combined with renewable on-site technologies such as
solar or wind power
c. CHP plants produce more emissions than single-source heat or
electricity plants would
d. CHP plants can be fueled with biomass

7. The BedZED project used which source to fuel their heat and energy plant?
a. low-sulfur coal
b. urban tree waste
c. natural gas
d. wind power

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8. The Jubilee Wharf project uses heat exchange units for which purpose?
a. to heat the underground spaces
b. to cool the warm side of the building
c. to recover waste heat
d. to exhaust the hot air from the building

9. Which is planned to be added to Jubilee Wharf to make it carbon neutral?
a. additional wind turbines
b. PV panels
c. a wood pellet boiler
d. both a and b

10. The addition of which allowed Lewis Center at Oberlin College to achieve carbon-negative status in 2005?
a. wind turbines
b. a 100 kW PV array to the center’s roof
c. a 100 kW PV array to the roof of an adjacent parking garage
d. a wood pellet boiler

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