Zero energy home

[Jon Klaus]

How much extra $$ to get there?

Say a 1500 square foot home in Texas. Conventional building cost = $105K. How much more to get to zero energy?

Assume highly insulated, great windows in the appropriate places, shade where needed, sun where needed, geothermal HVAC, and a PV system engineered correctly. What else?

[Justin Silverio]

Depending on the site, orientation of the house and the type of construction you're using (advanced construction, SIP's, ICF's, etc), I've heard of some homes getting there at around $100-$110 sq./ft.

I can't find the website of the house that was built for $100 sq.ft, but this one if pretty good - http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/SolarHomes/MAZeroEnergy/MAZeroEnergy.htm

PV = Photovoltaic or solar panels