A Guide for Developing Zero Energy Communities

About the Book

A Planning Guide for Developing Zero Energy Communities (also called The ZEC Guide) helps developers, corporations, institutions, governments, utility companies, and communities create cities, campuses, and neighborhoods that, by design, conserve energy and incorporate electric vehicle–charging using renewable energy to power those buildings and vehicles. ZECs provide a net balance of the supply and demand for local energy based on the National Renewable Energy Laboratories’ (NREL) ZEC definition. The ZEC Guide addresses both Greenfield and Retrofit ZECs of various project sizes and complexities. The environmental impacts, regulatory issues, resistance, and economics are described. The ZEC Guide includes an extensive primer regarding renewable energy, control systems, energy storage, and hybridization of technologies. The guide provides a step-by-step process for evaluation and implementation and an explanation of how to create a ZEC program and align it with other sustainability and green building standards. Extensive references are provided for a multitude of relevant resources. The 202-page book includes forty-two photos and illustrations.

About the Author

John Whitcomb (MA, sustainable business and communities, Goddard College) is a serial entrepreneur, building technology, and sustainability expert. In addition, Mr. Whitcomb is the author of the book A Guide for Developing Zero Energy Communities : The ZEC Guide, a comprehensive primer instructing on the implementation of zero energy communities as defined by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Whitcomb’s current research focuses on smart buildings and smart cities where he leverages twenty-plus years of consulting experience regarding integrated building technologies. Mr. Whitcomb has completed significant assignments for AT&T, Bharti-Airtel, Boeing, Cisco, Egypt Telecom, HP, Intel, Microsoft, Omaha Public Power District, Oracle, Southern California Edison, Xcel Energy, the US White House, US Navy, IRS, US AID, and NASA. John Whitcomb and General H. Norman Schwarzkopf were founders of Endur, a revolutionary company that developed vulnerability assessments and design guidelines for secure data center campuses that use onsite energy. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Endur developed the system to assess risk (STAR) to examine critical federal information technology and communications infrastructure. Endur was sold to Calpine Energy (CPN) in 2003. Mr. Whitcomb is passionate about technology that will enhance work, life, and play and improving security and the environment. Whitcomb is president of TowardZero.org and affiliated with other nonprofit organizations, including CoreNet Global Real Estate, Infocomm International, and the ASCE Global Anticorruption Education and Training Program. John lives in Englewood, Colorado, with his wife, Lana.