Tagged: zero net-energy house design

March 20, 2022

WHY ZERO NET-ENERGY WASN’T GOOD ENOUGH FOR MY HOUSE

WHY ZERO NET-ENERGY WASN’T GOOD ENOUGH FOR MY HOUSE Many zero net-energy advocates make the statement that ‘zero net-energy homes have zero energy costs’. There is a dirty little secret that made this statement false for THE HAYFIELD HOUSE. Following is my story and the dirty little secret. The definition of a zero net-energy home is one that produces as much renewal energy as the house uses, as measured on an annual basis. It then sounds logical to jump to the conclusion that such homes have zero operating energy costs. It also sounds logical to assume that if a house is performing at near zero net-energy that your utility bills will also be near zero. — I’ve found both assumptions to be FALSE for THE HAYFIELD HOUSE....

NetZero-HayfieldHouse.com is created to help demystify the design, material selection, construction, and costs of building a zero net-energy, all-electric, single-family house that also preserves the conservation values of the land. Hopefully this blog will encourage others to join in a similar quest. Architects, builders, material suppliers, homeowners and others may benefit from the lessons learned (and suggestions offered) from the perspective of a homeowner who actively participated in and/or led every phase of this net-zero project.