They call it the Net-Zero Energy home. It has ground source heat pumps (promising a 30% reduction in energy use), photovoltaic arrays, supplementary wind power, high efficiency appliances and battery storage, all talking to each other through a Home Energy Manager.
That’s a lot of impressive technology. But are green gizmos the best way to achieve net zero energy?
GE says that the net-zero energy house will cost 10% more than a conventional house. That’s a lot of money; if people would pay that much for extra insulation and better windows they would probably save 30% of their energy costs without fancy heat pumps. But they won’t, and when builders offered it, few took them up on it.
VIA: treehugger.com