The PlanetMagazine, 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.
Through its Zero Energy Ready Homes initiative, the U.S. Department of Energy has been busy documenting homes that live, work, and last better. They’ve put together a great web resource with such homes all over the country. TC Legend Homes is well represented, with four such “homes of the future” in the Marine climate zone, three of which were Housing Innovation Award winners.
Check out the full tour or click on the links below to take a virtual tour of homes that are so energy efficient a renewable energy system can offset all or most of their annual energy consumption. These award-winning homes are independently certified to meet DOE Zero Energy Ready Home guidelines. Zero Energy Ready Home is part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings initiative. Better Buildings aims to make commercial, industrial, public, and residential buildings 20 percent more energy efficient over the next decade.
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