The Boston Building Resources (BBR) Reuse Center building in Mission Hall was certified as a zero-energy building by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), representing one of the highest aspirations in energy performance for buildings. BBR announced the award at their April 22 Earth Day celebration.
Zero Energy Certification from ILFI allows projects to demonstrate that the building is truly operating as claimed, harnessing energy from renewable sources to produce net annual energy demand. Through a third-party audit of actual performance data, Zero Energy certified projects are proven to be highly efficient buildings that rely only on clean energy, without on-site combustion of fossil fuels.
BBR’s 8,800-square-foot building became zero energy after a transformational renovation project, completed in 2021. Changes included the installation of an all-electric HVAC system, major building envelope upgrades, and a 114-panel, 46-kilowatt rooftop solar array.
A zero-energy building is a natural extension of BBR’s environmental mission: keeping reusable building materials out of the waste stream and making them available to local homeowners to repair, maintain, and improve their houses. It houses a retail operation providing affordable used and surplus building materials to 2,000 local residents per year. The award will be presented at the Living Future 23 conference in Washington, DC, May 3-5.