A different way to build a house #36 – Zero-energy and Triple-zero-houses

by Marshall Brain

A triple-zero house is about as green as a house can get – it is a house that is energy self-sufficient (zero energy consumed), produces zero emissions, and is made entirely of recyclable materials (zero waste).

Lightweight triple-zero house produces more energy than it uses

If a house needs energy for heating, air conditioning, electronics, hot water, lights, refrigeration, etc., how can it use zero energy? By producing enough energy to balance out the use:

The most recent addition to the triple-zero series raises the bar for energy efficiency: It produces more energy than it uses, Sobek said. The one-story glass home, which seems to float in front of a backdrop of pine trees, is a tiny power plant [which] feeds electricity into the public grid,

The most common way to create a tiny power plant is to use solar panels to create electricity. Here are two examples of zero-energy houses in the U.S.:

Other House Ideas

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