Blog
September 20, 2021
Behavior Change Is Critical for Reaching Net-Zero Energy
Reaching global net-zero emissions by 2050 will require everyone to make changes in their behavior. But thermostat adjustments will not be enough. The public must accept new government policies and adopt available technologies, too. The drive to change is becoming apparent. We need to accelerate the trend.
Read ArticleSeptember 20, 2021
Three Steps for Building Carbon Neutral Houses
Well-built homes stand for 100 years or more. We must ensure that every home is affordable and has a low carbon footprint. Green builders are taking steps to achieve these goals — three policy innovations will encourage more builders to get on board.
Read ArticleSeptember 20, 2021
Act Now: List or Update Your Home in the Inventory of Zero Homes
Tracking the growth of zero energy homes in all their different forms is essential to building momentum for the growth of zero. If you are an owner, builder, or designer of a zero home, be sure your home is listed and help grow the movement toward zero.
Read ArticleSeptember 20, 2021
Thinking Inside the Box
Factory-built homes show great promise for zero energy housing. This company is combining high performance and small size with low cost to meet the housing challenges of the coming decade.
Read ArticleAugust 6, 2021
Financing Energy-Efficient Housing on a Massive Scale
There is one major obstacle to the widespread transition to zero energy homes: The mortgage industry has been slow to recognize their higher market value and reluctant to finance the additional upfront cost of financially sound energy efficiency features. One solution is a system to create mortgage backed securities specifically for energy efficient homes.
Read ArticleAugust 5, 2021
Zero Homes Are Great: Let’s Make Them Better — Zero 2.0
Ten years ago, making a home or building generate as much energy as it uses over the course of a year seemed an immense challenge. Tens of thousands of these advanced energy-efficient structures have been built. But they need to be better to meet the challenges of climate change, health, security, and resilience. So what’s next? Zero 2.0!
Read ArticleJuly 19, 2021
Simple Steps to Maintain Zero Energy Home Appliances
Zero energy homes have many advanced features and systems. After you have your very own zero energy home, you’ll want to keep it operating at peak efficiency. Fortunately, home maintenance for these homes is not more difficult or time consuming than for conventional homes.
Read ArticleJune 14, 2021
Low Carbon Kitchens
Whether you’re building a new home or replacing worn out appliances, you’ll want to choose products that reduce energy use and your carbon footprint. Some choices are just improved versions of familiar products, and other options may be completely new. Make your next kitchen a 21st century kitchen — ready for our zero carbon future.
Read ArticleJune 14, 2021
Products Used to Get to Zero
You can’t build or remodel a home on the path to zero without buying suitable materials and equipment. That’s why the Zero Energy Project offers a select list of product ideas that can smooth your path to zero. Check out the new products that have been recently added to the Zero Energy Product Directory!
Read ArticleJune 9, 2021
The Mythical Threat to Double-Stud Walls
When choosing a high-performance wall assembly, you have many choices. One of them is to build double-stud walls. The double-stud wall approach sometimes raises the concern that it will lead to mold growth and wood rot. Is this fear based in reality? Green Building Advisor checked it out and found that wood-moisture content and seasonal temperature fluctuations do not seem to create moisture problems in double-stud walls.
Read ArticleMay 7, 2021
Healthy Air in the Best and Worst of Times
Super airtight construction and heat recovery ventilation are necessary companions for zero energy homes. But the outside air may not be as clean as we think. Increasingly common extreme pollution events can overwhelm most fresh air systems. It’s time to make high-efficiency filtration a standard feature of zero homes.
Read ArticleMay 6, 2021
How to Decarbonize the American Household
There’s still time to slow the impact of climate change, but America must act… and fast. This requires a rapid shift to using electric power for everything from household equipment to personal transportation. There’s good news. If done correctly, the transition can save everyone money and create more jobs. We can choose: crisis or opportunity.
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