The dark side of solar power includes trashing millions of used solar panels and batteries in landfills, intermittent production, and taking large tracts of land out of productive use. But new recycling approaches, and energy management and land use strategies are keeping the light on solar. It has a bright future.

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. 

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.

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.

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. 

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. 

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! 

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.  

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.

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!

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.

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.