On-Site Renewable Energy
Buildings designed using the whole building approach and that incorporate energy-efficient building components and appliances use much less electricity than conventional buildings. Other ways to reduce a building's environmental and carbon footprint are to purchase utility-provided green power or to generate clean energy onsite.
To maximize economic and environmental benefits generating energy onsite should only be considered once a building has implemented all available energy-saving measures. This section discusses various renewable energy options:
- Cooling, heating, and power systems
- Distributed energy systems
- Fuel cells
- Green power
- Photovoltaic systems
- Wind energy