This guide was developed as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Zero Energy Schools Accelerator (ZESA), a collaborative effort organized by DOE, with support from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and in partnership with school districts, states, and nongovernmental organizations around the country. These steps serve as a guide to ensure that a school achieves its zero energy design goal and maintains zero energy status after it is occupied and operating.