A Zero Net Energy Building Pilot Study: Low Energy Strategies for Weygand Residence Hall at Bridgewater State University

This article presents research that was conducted during the design of a residence hall, aimed to identify whether net-zero energy goals can be achieved in residence halls. The article reviews the design process and analyses that were conducted to investigate different design strategies, building systems, renewable energy sources, as well as operational and maintenance factors. Conclusions suggest that high occupancy and significant energy demand in residence halls warrant consideration of new ideas about energy consumption, as well as changes in operation to drastically improve building performance.

keywords: zero-net energy building design strategies, building performance, residence halls