Sustainability Language

Green buildings & construction

Energy-plus building

A building that generates more energy from local renewables over a year than it consumes.

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Definition

An energy-plus (plus-energy) building is a highly efficient building that produces a net annual energy surplus from locally available renewable sources, while maintaining low emissions and a balanced relationship between load and generation. It goes beyond net-zero buildings, which balance consumption and generation.

References

Overview

What it means

PEBs combine passive design, very efficient systems and on-site renewables (typically solar PV and heat pumps, often with storage) so that surplus energy can serve neighbouring buildings, vehicles or the grid. The concept is promoted in EU research projects (e. g. Cultural-E) as a step beyond the EPBD's zero-emission building standard.

How it is used

Used in demonstration districts, positive-energy district programmes and advanced building certification; informs design targets in renovation policy.

Why it matters

Moving from zero-energy to positive-energy buildings turns the building stock from a demand problem into a distributed supply asset.

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