A Net Zero House: My Eventual Goal

Some things are exciting….like being energy neutral. I read today about Net-zero homes that make and save as much energy as they use in the WSJ this cold morning. WOW! In Greenfield, Rural Development is putting up duplexes with these features, and can add $37K to the price of the house and sell it easily.

The government shovels money at these, offering tax incentives and so does the power company, who say that they want to encourage building houses like these, which cut the yearly utility bills from $2700 to $700. One feature that I think is especially clever is a thermal storage basement, where cooler air in summer is kept there and then released into the house, and in winter, warm daylight air is held for circulation at night. Brilliant! They also have triple pane windows, electronic thermostats and thick, thick insulation.

Rural Development has completed eight of 20 planned duplex houses in Greenfield, all using almost no electricity. The rooftop solar panels cost $10,000 per 3-bedroom house. Other builders are making the houses prefab, up to 500 per year.