no energy home: building green homes for the average family
new homes powered by solar pv panels that require no propane, no gas, no oil to heat or energize the home is our idea. by using the net metering laws, green construction techniques, passive solar design, and a little bit of imagination we have built a model home of a modest size (1782 sf, 3 bedroom, 2 bath rooms) and cost ($315,000)with amenities like a two car garage, granite counter tops, hardwood floors, tile bathrooms, energy star appliances, 8′ deep front porch, and of course 4 kw of pv solar panels.
everything that went into this home was designed to either reduce the consumption of energy or to help generate energy. from lite colored roof shingles to a conditioned crawl space, to an insulated garage, to low e windows, to the way the house sits on the lot, and much, much more.
we did this with existing technology and techniques. we did this at a cost that is comparable to traditional building practices. we did this with the goal of reducing the cost of energizing the home while being able to reduce the amount of green house gases the home will emit as compared to an existing home(3.4 metric tons of co2 compared to 12.6 metric tons of co2). we did this with a mind towards the future. we think that future is now.
this home will also provide an income of $1,900/year in srec (solar renewable energy certificate) income. who would not want a home that has virtually no energy bills and earns income? this is the future and the future is now.