Submission Requirements

All forms and supporting materials, with the exception of the presentation boards, must be submitted by email to Jennifer Marrapese, NESEA's Executive Director, at jmarrapese@nesea.org. The submission deadline is December 15th each year. The digital images are necessary, as the judges are located in multiple states.

 

1. Presentation Board

Submit one 20"x30" presentation board in either a vertical or horizontal format. Your presentation board must include sectional information showing building envelope details, floor plans and elevations, and at least one exterior and one interior image of the completed building. You must submit both a hard copy of your presentation board and an electronic version in JPG, TIFF, PNG or PDF format. The hard copy must be mailed to:

Zero Net Energy Building Award

Northeast Sustainable Energy Association

50 Miles Street Greenfield, MA 01301

Attn. Jennifer Marrapese, Executive Director

 

2. Building Images 

Please provide up to five interior and five exterior digital images of your building in JPG, TIFF or PNG format. Please send each photo in two forms: high-resolution (300 dpi) and web-resolution (72 dpi). The photographs will be used to judge the building's aesthetics and marketability and to help evaluate the building's design in terms of practicality and usefulness.

If you are chosen to receive the award, all of your submitted images may be used for promotional purposes, and/or you may be asked to allow NESEA to send a professional photographer to photograph your building for promotional purposes. If possible, please submit at least one vertical image of the building for possible use on the cover of NESEA's member magazine, the Northeast Sun. 

 

3. Energy Performance Data Forms

To substantiate net-zero energy use, detailed data must be provided. Complete all tabs of the Zero Net Energy Performance Data forms and submit the completed workbook by email. 

 

4. Supporting Data

Please provide back-up documentation - a printout from your utility that reflects your energy usage for at least 12 full months so that the judges can verify your stated energy usage. In some cases, further information may be requested by our judging panel. These materials are to be submitted by email. Images should be sent in PDF, JPG, TIFF or PNG format. Applicants are encouraged to submit up to 14 months of supporting data if possible to ensure that judges have access to at least 12 full calendar months of net zero usage data.  

 

5. Narrative Description

Please provide a summary narrative of no more than 500 words describing your building. This narrative should include a description of the building's location, its key sustainable design features and any other information that will help our judges assess its comfort and replicability. If you wish, you may include background information on your intentions in undertaking your zero-net-energy building project - i.e., what motivated you to build or retrofit this building. This information may be helpful to us in promoting the Zero Net Energy Building Award and your specific entry.

In addition to the narrative requested above, please provide:

A brief occupancy statement explaining how the building is used, including:

1. Days of occupancy: number of days anyone is present in the building for the 12 month period during which net zero data is collected; and

2. Person days of occupancy (one person present for one day gives one person day, two people for two days is four person days, etc )

The cost of building construction, excluding design fees, site preparation, and unconditioned space; and the square footage of the conditioned space, measured from the exterior

A listing of what you used in terms of major energy-related systems:

1. Building envelope: for each applicable item below, please list insulation material used and thickness/assembly R Value

  • Sub Slab
  • Slab Edge
  • Foundation Wall
  • Above Grade Wall
  • Flat Attic
  • Cathedral Ceiling

2. Doors/windows: for windows list Window U Value and SHGC

3. Mechanicals: for each of the sub-systems below, please list component make and model number, and any comments that might be of interest

  • Space Heating
  • Space Cooling
  • Hot Water
  • Ventilation

4. Renewable Energy

  • Make/Model/Number of major components (e.g. PV panels, inverter, solar hot water panels, tank, other renewable feature, etc)
  • What is the peak power of the PV array (KW) or other renewable feature?
  •  What is the projected annual production of the PV array (kWhr) or other renewable feature?
  • What is the actual annual production of the PV array (if known) (kWhr) or other renewable feature?

5. Lighting

 

The narrative and additional responses are to be saved as a Word or RTF document, and sent by email to jmarrapese@nesea.org. 

 

A Note about Electronic Files

Please include the words 'ZERO NET ENERGY BUILDING AWARD' in the subject line of emailed material. 

 

Distribution of the Cash Prize

The cash award of $10,000 will be disbursed in one payment to the designated primary contact for the winning team.


Site Visit/Audit

A site visit by one or more of our judges may be requested. If this is deemed necessary, you will be contacted to arrange for a convenient time for this visit. 

 

NESEA's Green Buildings Open House tour

All applicants will be asked to participate as host sites in NESEA's Green Buildings Open House (GBOH) tour in the year after they apply. The GBOH tour occurs on the first Saturday of October each year. For more information, visit the Green Buildings Open House page.

 

Notice about the Use of Application Materials

All material submitted will remain the property of the applicant and will only be used by NESEA and the Zero Net Energy Building Award for publicity and educational purposes. By submitting an application, you agree to allow NESEA and the Zero Net Energy Building Award to publish material submitted in your application on its website, in advertising and in other promotional or educational material. No compensation will be given for the use of any of the materials.


Submission Deadline 

The deadline for all application materials is 5:00PM on December 15th each year.

 

Questions or Comments?

Call (413) 774-6051 ext. 23 or email Jennifer Marrapese at jmarrapese@nesea.org

 

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