Our motivation for starting this blog was to spread the word that zero-energy home building is not only possible but can be done by almost anyone planning a home construction project. The owners, designers, and builders of net-zero homes that we have talked to have also been eager to answer questions and tell others about this building standard. We haven’t been able to definitively determine how many net-zero houses have been built in the United States (CNN says it’s about 150), but we will be posting as many as we can find here. If you know of a net-zero home that you would like listed here, please contact us.
Colorado
Fraser House Fraser, Colorado 5,232 square-foot single-family house
Massachusetts
Montague Urban Homestead Montague, Massachusetts Single-family house, winner of the Massachusetts Zero Energy Challenge Rosenbaum House Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts Transformations Inc. House Needham, Massachusetts
New York
Up Hill House Cambridge, New York 1,408 square-foot single-family house
Oregon
Painted Hills Ranger Cabin John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon 1,000 square-foot house that powers an electric car
Washington
Thomas and Salmon House 612 NW 60th St., Seattle WA 1915 square-foot single-family house Valley Road House Bainbridge Island, Washington 1,886 square-foot single-family house zHomes Issaquah, Washington 10 unit condo development
Thank you so much for blogging about your construction process.
Here is another Net Zero Home. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IPuED0Ta8E&feature=related
I wouldn’t look to CNN or youtube as authoritative sources of zne home counts. With major builders like KB Homes and Shea’s SheaXero line making up as much as one percent of their buildings as zne homes, the number is certainly far larger than 150.
Thanks for the tip, Alan. I wouldn’t say CNN necessarily has the correct count, but they’re the only source I could find that would hazard a guess. I will look into the KB Homes and Shea’s projects you mentioned.
Alan,
I looked into the “net-zero” offerings of KB Homes and Shea Homes. Shea is offering the “SheXero’ option as a free upgrade in one of their communities. From what I can tell, they are not true net-zero homes, in the sense that all their energy is generated on site. While the solar panels are supposed to cover all the electrical needs, their spec sheet mentions that the homes have forced-air gas heat. KB Homes reportedly built a net-zero home in Maryland, but their press release just says that the home generates all of its own electricity. I couldn’t tell if they use gas heat or if their heating system is electrical.
Even if these aren’t true net-zero houses as most people define them, it’s still great to see mainstream builders take a step in the right direction.
Thanks so much for the information on your project. In addition to the John Day Ranger Station, I should let you know that there are three net zero energy home in Bend, Oregon with one year of energy monitoring to prove the net zero goal. There are currently two more under construction, and at least one more in the design phase. I will be blogging about the project at the below link. Please check into the website below for more information.
Thanks, Glenn Haupt, Solar Craft Design
Certified Passive House Consultant
http://www.solarcraftdesign.com/index.html
http://www.zerohomes.org/
http://www.zerohomesblog.com/
Thanks for the info, Glenn. I’ll take a look and add these homes to the directory.
Hi Glen,
I’m having trouble finding info on the three net-zero houses in Bend. Do you have a direct link to a project website or something like that?
Thanks,
Eric