May 26--SANTA BARBARA -- There was a lot of talk about zero net energy buildings at the Santa Barbara Summit on Energy Efficiency last week.

The summit brought together experts to discuss energy efficiency in lighting, energy production and storage, buildings and design, computing and electronics and photonics. The two-day event at UC Santa Barbara attracted around 260 attendees.

California's climate plan, factoring in population growth, will mean a reduction of emissions to 1.4 tons per person in the state by 2050 -- down 10 times from where it was in 1990 -- according to Dian Grueneich of the California Public Utilities Commission.

The goal will require the state to embrace energy efficiency at a level never reached before, she said, adding: "We've just got to make this a way of life."

The commission's strategic plan includes four strategies for energy savings focused on buildings. By 2020, new homes will need to be zero net energy. By 2030, that standard will apply to new commercial buildings. The other two strategies relate to reshaping the heating, ventilation and air conditioning industry and creating energy-efficient, low-income homes.

The commission says "zero net energy" happens when the amount of energy demanded by a building is equal to the amount provided by on-site or nearby renewable energy resources.

Grueneich said the state will probably have to retrofit every building to meet reduced energy consumption levels in the future.

"Energy efficiency makes sense," she said.

Buildings are an important part of the energy equation, with U.S. buildings produce 48 percent of carbon emissions and consume 39 percent of total U.S. energy, said Igor Mezic, head of the buildings and design solutions group at the Institute for Energy Efficiency.

Even though utilities and designers are counting on changes in consumer behavior that should arrive with "smart metering" where people can watch their energy consumption, Mezic said it is better to think of a building on "cruise control." In that case, the system is programmed to handle itself.

As an example, he suggested a home that would shut a window if the air conditioning is turned on. But then quickly mentioned that the home may need to go a step further, such as determining if it might be more efficient to leave the window open because the outside air is cooler.

Eventually, people will adopt home automation for comfort and convenience, leaving energy management in the background, relatively invisible to customers, predicted Jeffrey Reed, director of strategic planning and development for Sempra Energy.