What is a net-zero fossil energy use home?
A net-zero fossil fuel energy use home is designed so that annually, on average, the consumption of electrical energy from utility sources is offset, or equaled by the production of electrical energy from renewable sources, such as solar energy or wind. This case study, sponsored fully by the NAHB Research Center, is a preliminary effort to understand how a new house design may be modified so that the use of renewable energy technologies supply all of the annual energy needs of the home to achieve net-zero energy consumption. The effort makes use of a “typical” home design using new technologies in the building shell as well as new technologies for heating and cooling to reduce energy consumption. The modified home design design – an all-electric home – then includes the use of standard solar thermal and photovoltaic systems to offset the electric demand, on an annual basis, so that the home is estimated to be a net-zero consumer of fossil fuel produced electricity. In other words, the
