Specialist information: Zero Energy Buildings - a term with various meanings
Since the beginning of the 1990s buildings have been built all over the world which claim to achieve 'zero energy' or 'plus energy' standards. terms such as 'energy autarkic house', 'zero thermal energy house', '(net) zero energy building' or 'equilibrium building', among others, emerged. The issue came to prominence in May 2010 due to the new version of the 'Energy Performance in Buildings Directive' (EPBD), with its goal that aims for all new builds in EU countries to be 'nearly zero energy buildings' by 2020.
