Building & Powering an Award-Winning Net Zero Energy Home

Can a home be beautiful, powered entirely by solar energy, use sustainable heating and cooling systems and save it’s owners roughly $3,500 a year? Why, yes it can. Just ask Joanne Coons, who built her award winning, single-family, Net Zero Energy Home in 2010. Sustainable Woman Joanne talks Net Zero standards, efficient appliances and goods, her […]

Building Codes, Efficiency & Passive House Principles On Existing Homes

On the Passive House in the Real World (with Mike Duclos) discussion board… 
Takeaways:

Homeowners looking to incorporate Passive House principles in existing buildings should consider getting a home energy audit. Still, after a home is built, serious energy reductions (say 50% to 90%) become very expensive.
Attic insulation adjustments and window treatments offer more immediate fixes toward energy efficiency.
Electricity is typically our dirtiest fuel, […]

Principles of Deep Energy Retrofits: Homes & Buildings

Principles Underpinning Deep Energy Retrofits (DER) of Both Homes and Non-residential Buildings
In this article, Marc Rosenbaum discusses…

Examples of both Home and Non-Residential Building retrofits
Upgrades to energy and mechanical systems in older buildings
Heating cost and air quality differences between DER spaces and non-DER spaces
How you can learn more about Deep Energy Retrofits through HeatSpring

Deep Energy Retrofits […]