The design for Sarasota's Audubon Nature Center has earned Zero Net Energy Building Certification from the New Buildings Institute (NBI). The project was also published in NBI's 2018 Getting to Zero Status Update and Zero Energy Buildings List. The project will be recognized and honored at the "Getting to Zero National Forum" April 17-19 in Pittsburgh, Penn.

Zero net energy buildings are ultra-efficient new construction and deep energy retrofit projects that consume only as much energy as they produce from clean, renewable resources.

The Audubon Project completed construction in January 2016, and the project team provided detailed information in addition to a full year of electrical use data to NBI to document the zero net energy performance of the building. The design team included Sarasota Audubon, Carlson Studio Architecture, Brilliant Harvest for the Solar System design and installation, Quest Engineering for the mechanical and electricaldesign and Hees and Associates for structural engineering. Roger Landry of ESC LLC, provided commissioning services and Willis A. Smith Construction was the contractor.  

The project also achieved LEED Gold Certification in the LEED for New Construction, from the US Green Building Council.