Ecofutures Net-Zero Energy Homes, 2006 and Beyond

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 09:29:35 -0600

Scroll down or click the images below to learn more about Ecofutures' Net-Zero Energy Homes to date:


Solar Harvest	Broomfield NZEH	South Boulder NZEH Retrofit

Indian Hills NZEH	Evergreen NZEH

Interested in building or remodeling your own net-zero energy home? Visit our zero energy home design & construction website for more information!

Net-Zero Energy Home in Evergreen, Colorado

The Evergreen Net-Zero Energy Home is designed in a traditional southwest / adobe style, but boasts the latest in construction techniques for energy efficiency. From finely-tuned fiberglass windows with orientation-specific combinations of advanced Heat Mirror glazing to the use of natural and reclaimed products, this home is as green and high-performing as we could make it. Located at 8,000 feet in Evergreen, Colorado, the cold and windy site conditions challenge high performance home construction, but according to preliminary HERS reports, the home will achieve a HERS zero - or lower!

Visit the following pages to learn more about the Evergreen net-zero energy home:

The Evergreen Net-Zero Energy Home was beautifully designed by Thomas Doerr of Doerr Architecture

Net-Zero Energy Home in Indian Hills, Colorado

The Indian Hills Zero Energy Home is evidence that zero-energy does not necessarily mean zero-style. From the home's beautiful architecture with complex roof lines, intricate interior woodwork and high-end custom finishes it is difficult to see that the home is solar-powered; but it is. In order to achieve net-zero energy, the home is oriented for optimal passive solar gain with a large expanse of Loewen windows on the south side. 180 Thermomax evacuated tubes are mounted on the south roof, providing 100% of the homes domestic hot water and hot tub needs. To provide all supplementary electric power, the home also boasts a 10 kW ground-mount structure on its south lawn.

Visit the following pages to learn more about the Indian Hills net-zero energy home:

Finished photos! updated June 2008
Builder's Challenge Energy Rating Certificate updated July 2008
**despite the HERS 12 rating shown here, it is projected that this home will perform at net-zero energy (HERS 0), or lower!
Detailed mechanical system controls schematic
Construction photos
Ecofutures ZEH comparison chart

The Indian Hills Net-Zero Energy Home was masterfully designed by Jeff von Breichtenfeld of Sears Barrett Architects

City of Broomfield's First Net-Zero Energy Home

Oriented to capture the western views of the magnificent Front Range, the Skinner net-zero energy home presented an interesting challenge to our designers on how to achieve a net-zero energy goal with limited "free" energy in the form of passive solar gain.

As a result, the home is being outfitted with a 10-kW photovoltaic system installed by Simple Solar Systems, and 240 evacuated tube hot water collectors mounted at a 65 degree tilt for maximum efficiency. This luxury custom home is set to be completed in October-November, 2007.

The Broomfield Net-Zero Energy Home proves that a zero energy home does not need to be constrained by architectural style, size, or site conditions. Mechanical engineers who designed the heating and cooling system set out with a goal that residents will experience ideal indoor environmental conditions - 68-70 degrees year-round indoor temperatures - without ever having to think about the renewable energy systems powering their home.

Visit the following pages to learn more about the Broomfield zero energy home:

The Broomfield Net-Zero Energy Home was skillfully designed by Robert Rosenthal of Rosenthal Associates

South Boulder Net-Zero Energy Remodel

**CORRECTION: Please note that on previous versions of the poster available for download below, the carbon offsets at power plants was incorrectly listed as 1,080 lbs CO2. Recalculated using the latest figures from Boulder County, should read: 17,472 lbs CO2 offset at power plant. This correction has been made on the poster below.

BEFORE

AFTER

The first ZEH remodel project in Boulder, Colorado was designed with the overarching goal of creating a home capable of producing enough energy to satisfy domestic needs, power a future electric car, and still have a net-negative annual energy balance. Challenged again with a building site with relatively low passive solar gain, the mechanical systems engineers had to design a building that could "charge" up during sunny days by solar hot water-heated radiant floor systems, and could "coast" through cloudy cold-snap days without needing more energy.

With the addition of a 6.15-kW solar array installed by Namaste Solar Electric, the home is expected to achieve 120-130% of it's net-zero energy goal within the first year with a net excess greater than 1,500 kWh.

This home was featured on the 2007 Tour of Solar Homes.

Click these links to learn more about this net-zero energy retrofit:

The Boulder net-zero energy home retrofit was gracefully designed by Andy Johnson of DAJ Design

Building ZEH with Ecofutures

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 11:54:22 -0600

NEW!!

As of April 2008 Ecofutures can provide healthy zero energy homes at a lower cost than ever!

By working with Ecofutures Building and Solar Village Homes, you can now build a net-zero energy home that costs about 1/2 of current construction costs, but doesn't sacrifice personal style. Click here to learn more.

Custom Net-Zero Energy Homes: Our Specialty

Ecofutures Building specializes in design and construction of healthy, beautiful, and comfortable, net-zero energy homes. By definition, net-zero energy homes produce more energy than they consume over the course of a year. The result is an energy bill that is too low to matter.

Achieving a net-zero balance means first lowering loads as much as possible, and second, choosing a form of clean energy production such as on-site renewable energy in solar PVs, or through purchase of renewable energy credits.

Click here to learn more about net-zero energy homes currently under construction.

If you are interested in designing and building your net-zero energy home, please contact our main office at 303-415-9694 to set up a meeting with one of our staff.

Building a net-zero energy, healthy home requires:

Site-Specific Design
Continuous meetings between architect, builder and homeowners throughout design and construction to ensure that the house is designed to take advantage of site conditions and local climate, such as in solar orientation, prevailing winds, and climatic trends.

Advanced Engineering & Computer Modeling
Skilled mechanical engineers, modeling software experts and building science consultants are among Ecofutures' core team of designers to provide a comprehensive analysis of the home's heating, cooling, and power needs & ensure an adequately sized system is installed.

Interior Design Consulting
Ensuring healthy home construction means more than specifying natural materials; it means overseeing every individual item used during construction from solvents and adhesives to finishes and furnishings. Ecofutures provides excellent design consultation services for special-needs clients such as chemically sensitive and highly-allergenic homeowners.

Renewable Energy Research & Development
Highest-efficiency photovoltaic and thermal energy systems are researched and selected to eliminate heat and electric bills powering the home, and providing clean, green energy to the electric grid

Project Management & Quality Control
Project managers oversee construction & subcontractor labor to ensure the home is built as tightly as possible, and no unhealthy or toxic materials are used.

-----------------------------------------

OTHER RESOURCES

7 Steps to a Successful Net-Zero Energy Home

What Are Net-Zero Energy Homes? a brief page explaining basic features of Zero Energy Homes.

Ecofutures' Net-Zero Energy Homes 2006 and Beyond: a webpage dedicated to promoting the latest Ecofutures ZEH projects

NZEH Comparison Chart: a review of Ecofutures' past and planned zero energy home projects

Sample Energy and Comfort Systems Schematic designed for a zero energy home under construction, this diagram illustrates the state-of-the-art systems that can be integrated into your new home

Net-Zero Energy Home Links is a long list of other zero energy home projects throughout the country.

The Solar Harvest Technical Documents page, documenting our first zero energy home project in Boulder, Colorado.

Boulder's Leading Green & Zero Energy Home Builder - Net-Zero Energy Homes

Ecofutures Net-Zero Energy Homes, 2006 and Beyond

Building ZEH with Ecofutures