Net Zero

What is a Net Zero home?

A Net Zero Ready Home

is designed, modeled and built to produce as much energy as it consumes annually and is up to 80% more efficient than a typical new home.

has all the features of a Net Zero Home without solar panels. A Net Zero Ready Home uses up to 80% less energy than a home built to traditional standards.

A home that produces as much energy as it consumes over the course of a year. That means in peak months you may produce more energy, this is then sold back to the power company. In months when you produce less energy like in the winter when the sun is lower and isn’t out for as long as the summer months you can use the credit that had accumulated in your peak summer months. This will make your home net zero over the course of a full year.

So, how do we achieve Net zero energy consumption while code built homes simply cannot?

First we need to look at the house as a system. We need to optimize specific components in order to lower the need for energy. Making a more efficient building will lower the need for energy.

There are basically 4 major areas that need to be optimized in order to reach net zero.

Insulation

Increasing insulation values in walls and roofs is great, but we also need to add insulation under the basement slab. We will also consider windows as part of the insulation package, adding triple pane windows as opposed to the standard double pane. Bumping up insulation values will not only keep your home warmer but it helps to quiet outside noise as well as adds fire protection.

Air Tightness

This has been one of the most underrated areas that builders have failed to address. Having an airtight building allows you to control the air that is heating, cooling and filtering throughout your home, all the while not losing it through leaks

Mechanical System

This system in recent years taken leaps and bounds in the advancements of air source heat pumps. These units take the warmth of the outside air when heating and the coolness of the outside air when cooling. Now you can have one unit that both heats and cools. Effectively replacing an AC unit. This is especially important considering that our climate zone has seen a drastic change to become a cooling dominated climate zone. Something you probably wouldn’t think.

Solar Energy

To become a net zero home you have to produce your energy on-site. You can do that easily with a solar PV array. And because we have optimized the areas we just talked about, your solar array doesn’t need to be large or costly. Also, the cost of solar panels have come down so much in the last 5 years that it makes more sense than ever to go net zero.

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*Background image by Makor Architecture Inc.