Energy Performance of the NIST Net Zero Energy Residential Test Facility relative to a Maryland Code- Compliant Design

Published

September 30, 2013

Author(s)

Joshua D. Kneifel

Abstract

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) received funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to construct a Net Zero Energy Residential Test Facility (NZERTF). The initial goal of the NZERTF is to demonstrate that a net-zero energy residential design can “look and feel” like a typical home in the Gaithersburg area. The demonstration phase of the project intends to demonstrate that the operation of the house does perform at “net zero,” or produces as much electricity as it consumes over an entire year. The NZERTF began the demonstration phase in July 2013. The purpose of this report is to compare the energy performance of the NZERTF design to a comparable Maryland code-compliant building design using whole building energy simulations. The analysis includes a total of eleven EnergyPlus (E+) simulations, starting with the Maryland code-compliant design and then adding energy efficiency measures incrementally until all measures are included to reach the NZERTF design. This approach allows for a comparison across energy efficiency measures to determine the incremental impact for each energy efficiency measure on energy consumption.

Citation

Special Publication (NIST SP) - 1166

Report Number

1166

NIST Pub Series

Special Publication (NIST SP)

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.sp.1166

Keywords

Net zero energy construction, energy efficiency, residential building, whole building energy simulation

Citation

Kneifel, J. (2013), Energy Performance of the NIST Net Zero Energy Residential Test Facility relative to a Maryland Code- Compliant Design, Special Publication (NIST SP), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.sp.1166 (Accessed October 10, 2025)