The Net-Zero Revolution. Libraries Strive to Generate as Much as They Consume

A Better World is Possible

The following article, “The Net Zero-Revolution” by Cass Balzer appeared originally in American Libraries on March 3, 2025. It is reposted here in accordance with the magazine’s terms of use, for non-profit organizations.

When the old Medford (Mass.) public library (MPL) opened in 1960, sustainability wasn’t even part of the conversation. By the 1990s, the facility already felt outdated and inefficient, with an old heating system, a flat roof that turned into a shallow pond with every storm, and few features that would help conserve energy. “The lights were either on or off,” MPL Director Barbara Kerr jokes.

Thanks to a municipal bond and strong local support, however, in 2017 the library had the opportunity to construct a new building that was not only modern but also environmentally friendly. At the heart of the design is a rooftop with 700 solar panels, which elevated the project to net-zero energy status. That means the facility was now producing as much energy as it used.

MPL is one of the many libraries across the country on a mission to contribute to a greener future. The most ambitious of this group are committing to net-zero energy. Strategies often include installing solar panels, transitioning to all-electric systems, and integrating geothermal heating and cooling.

Community-focused Sustainability
Community involvement was key to the success of MPL’s top-to-bottom redesign. When the library applied for a partial grant from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners in 2018, which covered a portion of the $34 million cost, the community rallied to secure additional funding. At a pivotal city council meeting, hundreds of residents—many sitting on the floor because of the overflow crowd—voiced their support.

The city collaborated with library staffers and enlisted Boston-based Schwartz/Silver Architects to envision a modern, sustainable space. The architects took advantage of the site’s topography, building the library into a hillside for natural insulation that helps regulate indoor temperatures and reduce energy demands. Clerestory windows, positioned high on the walls, draw in daylight from above to reduce reliance on artificial lighting and enhance the building’s energy efficiency. On the roof, the building’s 700 solar panels produce around 340,000 kilowatts of energy a year—enough to power an electric vehicle for nearly 1 million miles.

Kerr says that the library’s heating and electricity costs in MPL’s old building were often $60,000 per year, which is now realized as savings. In fact, “we’re actually making money because we have all these energy credit checks.” The checks, which average $2,000 each in the summer months, are for surplus energy the library contributes back to the grid.

Small Changes, Big Energy Wins
While MPL demonstrates the impact of large-scale sustainable design, Salt Lake County (Utah) Library’s Daybreak branch highlights how smaller, incremental adjustments can help close the gap to net zero. When the building opened in 2022, it already met LEED Gold certification requirements, the second-highest available. “We were told that there wasn’t much we could do to make a huge impact, but we could do things to make a little impact,” says Branch Manager Leslie Schow. She and her team made practical changes, such as turning off unnecessary lights, powering down computer monitors when not in use, and reducing reliance on energy-consuming devices like space heaters.

These marginal changes, combined with existing energy-efficient technologies like solar tubes—which channel natural light from the roof into interior spaces—and a geothermal heating system under the parking lot, contributed significantly to the library’s net-zero certification in 2024.

When Buildings Teach
By combining education with functionality, some libraries foster awareness and habits even beyond their walls. Mike Dwyer, chief operations officer of Stevens Library (SL) at Sacred Heart Schools in Atherton, California, describes the library as a “teacher,” noting that its building design actively promotes sustainable practices among students and staffers.

Signage throughout the library, which was built in 2012 and was certified as net-zero energy in 2015, highlights water-saving features, including a rainwater collection system, outdoor bioswales that capture and filter stormwater runoff, and low-flow planters. These elements educate students about water conservation and make sustainability an integral part of the school day.

When the lower school started a maker program that would be housed in SL, Dwyer was concerned that the power used by additional electronics, printers, and machines—including a woodshop—could negate the building’s net-zero status. The architects confirmed that the building’s solar panels had the capacity, and the makerspace has since brought sustainable projects into the library. For example, when supply chain issues meant that the school couldn’t source doorstops during the pandemic, students used the woodshop to create them. “The library itself is like this beacon of sustainability,” Dwyer says.

Making Incremental Progress
For libraries that want to incorporate sustainability tactics, audits are a crucial first step, says Brooklyn (N.Y.) Public Library (BPL) Energy Manager Dillon Buchberg. Tracking energy use can help libraries identify immediate opportunities for improvement and lay the groundwork for broader changes. In systems with multiple buildings, it helps to triage and focus efforts on the least energy-efficient branches, he says. Its first net-zero energy building, a new Red Hook branch, is scheduled to open in 2025, but BPL’s goal is to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, part of a citywide energy efficiency mandate. The system has been replacing lighting and installing control systems and efficient heating and cooling units to reduce usage of gas and electricity in existing buildings. “Once we reduce that and make our buildings as efficient as possible, then we start exploring renewable technologies to offset that usage,” Buchberg says.

BPL’s energy efficiency efforts are also focused on disaster resilience. With disaster relief funding following Hurricane Sandy, four branches were retrofitted with solar panels in 2021. The panels charge a battery backup system that allows two of the branches to operate as resource and distribution centers during an emergency. At the other two branches, the batteries feed into outlets on the exterior of the building where people can charge devices. “[It’s] a resource for the community,” Buchberg says, “so they can help themselves during a disaster.”

By committing to net-zero energy, Schow adds, libraries can lower their environmental impact and inspire their communities to do the same: “When [a library] becomes an energy-efficient building, it becomes an example of what people can do in their own lives.”

Cass Balzer is a writer in Chicago.

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A Better World Is Possible is an occasional feature of the Amherst Indy that offers snapshots of creative undertakings, community experiments, innovative municipal projects, and excursions of the imagination that suggest possible interventions for the sundry challenges we face in our communities and as a species. See previous posts. This feature complements our occasional column by Boone Shear, who writes Becoming Human.

Have you seen creative approaches to community problems or examples of things that other communities do to make life better for their residents that you think we should be talking about? Send your observations/suggestions to amherstindy@gmail.com.