Hospitals can reduce energy use with the aim of achieving net-zero energy (NZE). Insights from hospitals that are on the path to NZE and other buildings that have realized this goal help identify barriers and help identify next steps for the healthcare sector to design-toward and achieve NZE.
This paper contextualizes hospital energy use in the U.S., discusses common design practice, and defines the scope and scale of NZE for commercial building projects. It highlights programs such as Targeting 100! and case study examples of forward-thinking hospitals that are leaders in deep energy savings and are on the path toward NZE. It also explores an example of a non-hospital building that has achieved NZE, providing insights into achieving this goal in practice.