Building Energy and Envelope Performance of a Near Net Zero Energy Building

Pennsylvania State University’s GridSTAR Experience Center, located at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, features a near net zero energy building. A unique combination of building materials, construction methods, energy management strategies and renewable energy sources were employed to approach net zero. Research was conducted to evaluate building energy and envelope performance. The results of the measured building energy performance were compared to whole-building energy simulations and one-dimensional hygrothermal modeling. This presentation covers important envelope considerations and lessons learned to achieve near net zero energy residential buildings.