FAQ

What is the CBC?

The Commercial Building Consortium (CBC) is a public/private collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) with the objective of transforming the commercial building sector to net-zero energy. Led by a Steering Committee of prominent national industry, NGO, and public organizations, CBC members work with DOE to develop and deliver technology, policies, and practices to help achieve near-term results and chart a path to the EISA long-term goals for net-zero commercial buildings.
Agreeing on a common definition of net-zero energy is not a simple task. In the EISA-2007 legislation Congress defined “zero-net-energy commercial building’’ as “…a high-performance commercial building that is designed, constructed, and operated—What is a net-zero energy building?

    • to require a greatly reduced quantity of energy to operate;
    • to meet the balance of energy needs from sources of energy that do not produce greenhouse gases;
    • in a manner that will result in no net emissions of greenhouse gases; and
    • to be economically viable.
Read the full Net-Zero Energy: A Directional Goal for Commercial Buildings  article by Jeff Harris, Alliance to Save Energy, to learn more on the term “net-zero.”

 

Does the CBC only focus on new construction?

No, the CBC’s goal is to address both new and existing buildings.

 

Who are the CBC members?

At present, there are almost 500 public and private Consortium members, including building designers, owners and operators, financiers, manufacturers, state and regional policy makers and program planners, researchers, funding agencies and other stakeholders. Visit the Membership page to find out more and view a list of our current member organizations.

 

Are there membership fees and obligations?

There are no fees to join the CBC. You may join as an Active Member or Corresponding Member. Active Members might be interested in authoring articles for the newsletter, reviewing CBC material, promoting the CBC at industry events, etc while Corresponding Members  include those members who may not be able to commit to active membership, but still want to continue receiving information through the newsletter and program updates.

 

What is the CBC working on now?

The CBC distributes a monthly newsletter which features a spotlight article from a member as well as timely highlights. We are currently collecting case studies which highlight emerging technologies and implemented programs in energy efficiency for commercial buildings. In 2012 the CBC  will continue to work with DOE and assist with their Clearinghouse initiative. Visit our Get Involved page to find out how you can contribute.