Near-net-zero Homes Attainable in the United States

The Florida Solar Energy Center recently released a report indicating that near-zero energy homes are well within reach in North America. A year's worth of performance data for 12 recently built U.S. homes showed that several exceeded or came very close to net-zero energy use. The energy-saving success of many of the homes was a result of combining greater energy efficiency and solar electric photovoltaic power. Some of the tools used to increase energy efficiency were better insulation, low-emittance or solar control windows, high-efficiency lighting and appliances.

The report cautions that the tradeoffs between energy efficiency measures and cost should be seriously considered. They recommend that designers use BEOpt software, developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, to find the most cost effective mix of energy efficiency improvements for reaching net-zero energy.

See the Center's full report, Very Low Energy Homes in the United States: Perspectives on Performance from Measured Data.