2006 Media Releases & Alerts
Research Center Study Explores Impact of Zero Energy Homes in Reducing Future
U.S. Energy Consumption
February 21, 2006, Upper Marlboro, Md. - Today, the NAHB Research Center
announced the release of its newly published study, The Potential Impact of ZEH.
Developed through a collaborative effort by the NAHB Research Center, the U.S.
Department of Energy, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the
study presents a far-reaching outlook into the possibilities for Zero Energy
Home (ZEH) technologies in the new home market and their potential impact on
U.S. energy consumption through 2050.
Zero Energy Homes, which are connected to the utility grid, combine highly
energy-efficient design and technology with solar electric and thermal systems
to produce as much energy as they use on an annual basis, resulting in net zero
energy consumption. While ZEH are technically feasible and exist today, they
have yet to widely penetrate the new home construction marketplace. However,
market penetration of highly efficient homes with solar energy systems has
already begun, and will continue in certain geographic areas. EPA ENERGY STARTM
home sales have experienced enormous growth, going from zero in 1995 to 130,000
in 2004, with up to 40 percent penetration in select markets.
As energy costs continue to rise, a number of energy-efficiency improvements in
appliances, building envelopes, windows, and mechanical systems are moving into
the market. Solar electric (photovoltaic) system costs have continued to
decline and new, solar water heating designs are under development that will
reduce costs and improve efficiency. These factors combined with state and
federal tax incentives for renewable energy systems suggest that as
energy-efficient technologies become more affordable, consumers will embrace
the long-term energy and environmental benefits of ZEH; making them
economically competitive with conventional construction when utility costs are
included in the cost of homeownership.
The Potential Impact of ZEH concludes that with continued federal
research and development programs to lower the cost of advanced
energy-efficiency building technologies, the ZEH concept will begin to diffuse
into the U.S. home market as early as 2012. This could ultimately result in
annual energy savings in 2050 of approximately 17 percent of the U.S. energy
consumption in single-family homes even as over a million new homes are added
each year.
For more information on zero energy homes and the The Potential Impact of ZEH
study, or to download a copy, visit www.toolbase.org/zeh.
02/06
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