Eliminating Utilities: Building residences with zero utility bills at hard-to-beat prices has the potential to change how homes are powered.

*The Planet* *Magazine*, a quarterly publication of Western Washington University, just published an excellent article about our role in what we hope will be a zero-energy revolution in homebuilding. Thanks to student reporter Alyssa Sanchez for her thoughtful exploration of passive solar design, mechanical equipment, and the other elements that go into net-zero design.

Photo by: Kesia Lee

Ted W. Clifton, dressed in a paint-stained T-shirt and sporting a long beard, enters the Power House, a home that is the first of its kind in Whatcom County. The home is brightly lit by the last of the afternoon rays beaming through the large, south-facing windows. The azure-blue cement floors trap the solar heat, keeping the house at a comfortable 21 degrees Celsius. At first glance, this house might appear like any other on the street, but this home may make utility bills a thing of the past.

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