Saturday, May 4, 2013

Zero-energy buildings - A reality now!

Experts believe that all commercial buildings, by the year 2050, will be “net zero”. Net Zero buildings are capable of producing as much energy as they use over the period of a year. Many green buildings experts, however, says that net zero homes are not merely a thing of the future and any building can be transformed into a net zero home with some investment and advanced energy technology.

If you are planning to own or build home of your own, then there is no reason not to select net zero house plans. People in net zero homes enjoy drastically reduced energy bills and are less dependent on the local grid in the case of an emergency.


Reducing energy consumption and generating power on site are two basic steps required in building net zero homes. Creating a tight building envelope and installing energy-efficient lighting, heating and appliances helps in reducing energy consumption. Also, HVAC systems allow to live comfortably on a third of the energy required for an average code-built home.

A combination of photo-voltaic  solar thermal, geothermal and wind generates on-site power for net zero buildings. Net zero status is earned when as much power has been pushed back to the grid as was used on site.

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