What exactly is a Zero Energy/Net Zero House? BYHYU 045
We’ve made it to episode 45 of Build House Yourself University (BYHYU). I’m Michelle Nelson, your host and fellow student, and together we’ll learn the basics of home design and construction and demystify the building process, so you can build your dream home, with or without a general contractor.
So, what exactly is a Zero Energy Home? To quote the folks at zero energy project. org, “Zero energy homes are just like any home—except better.” They are air-tight, well-insulated, and extremely energy efficient homes that produce as much energy as they use, over the course of a year. That means that for heating and cooling, electricity, and water heating, your net payment to the power company would be zero, zilch, nothing! You’d have no net utility bills with a zero energy house.
Zero energy houses also have very little negative impact on the environment. If all that sounds good to you, but you’re weary of looking into a zero energy house because you think that it has to be a super modern, minimalist white box of a house, think again.
These houses can be built in a variety of sizes and styles and for any climate. If you want a zero energy house that looks very unique and unconventional, that’s fine. But, you can also build a zero energy house that looks like any other home—like a traditional colonial or craftsman, or a Mediterranean or bungalow. You could build a large estate house or a tiny house, or something in between, and you could make any one of those a zero energy house.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
www.facebook.com/BYHYU