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Reuse Center Building Certified as Zero Energy

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The Boston Building Resources (BBR) Reuse Center building 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 carbon 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. The renovation team included Black River Architects; Landmark Structures, general contractor; Deep Energy Group, energy consultant; Next Phase Studios, sustainability consultant; Wozny/Barbar & Associates, MEP engineers; Sanjay Kaul, structural engineer; and Sunbug Solar, PV design and installation. 

reuse center building exterior as seen from the street

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. The Reuse Center is Mission Hill’s first and only zero-energy building. 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.