City of La Crosse, WI
Net Zero Energy Building Guide
These guidelines are provided by the City of La Crosse to assist the residents and businesses owners in the community in taking advantage of the benefits and quality-of-life improvements of Net Zero Energy construction.
What is Net Zero Energy?
A Net Zero Energy Building (NZE) is a highly energy efficient building with zero net energy consumption. This means the building offsets all energy used in the building with renewable energy created on site, calculated on an annual basis. In other words, a Net Zero Energy building balances its energy consumption with its renewable energy generation. A Net Zero Energy building has an annual operating carbon footprint of zero.
Why Implement a Net Zero Energy Building Guide?
The City of La Crosse has committed to transition away from a fossil fuel-based economy. The City has established long-term goals to reduce community-wide GHG emissions by 40% to
50% below 2019 levels by 2030, and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. In order to undertake this effort, the City has undertaken to develop the 2022 Climate Action Plan to lay out a pathway to meet the City’s goals.
As companion planning documents, the City has developed three sub-plan components: This Net Zero Energy Building Guide, the Solar Ready Guide, and the EV Ready Guide. The purpose of this Net Zero Energy Building Guide is to provide a tool for use by businesses and residents in the advancement of Net Zero Energy buildings within the City of La Crosse.
