Buildings account for a lot of energy use and CO₂ emissions, contributing to climate change. To combat this, a new framework has been developed to help design residential buildings that use zero energy. This framework considers not only the energy used during operation but also the energy used to make materials and transport people. Current approaches to zero energy buildings often overlook these factors, leading to higher overall energy demands. By looking at energy use on multiple scales, this new framework aims to create more effective zero energy buildings and neighborhoods.