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Zero energy ready homes are coming

energy.gov

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Re: Zero energy ready homes are coming

#61

Post by aclatuts »

s1artibartfast wrote: post #13

This is a pet issue of mine, having lived in two off grid homes going back to the 80's. The barriers are not materials, technology, or labor, but purely regulatory. I could take my current home off permanently grid with solar today for less than 10k but to do so would be illegal. Permitted grid connected solar costs 5x that and disconnecting from the grid is not permitted.

Disconnecting from the grid is overly romanticized. What you get from paying the utilities is a team of people who will fix equipment issues due to failure or the environment. If your home battery system has issues, scheduling someone could take a day or more. Off grid electrical services isn't popular enough to be on call 24/7. And getting parts may get take even more time. Equipment failure could take your electricity out for days or weeks. Being fully off grind means over provisioning your electrical storage and production, adding to costs. You also would not be able to sell your excess electricity. Also, in terms of house value, I imagine more people value the peace of mind of a connected electrical grid over saving the small fixed monthly connection fee.

Re: Zero energy ready homes are coming

#62

Post by eppp »

Syonyk wrote: post #28

When you've confused "per kWh cost" with "energy to the house delivery costs," this sort of stuff sounds good on paper, but it doesn't fundamentally solve the problem that in the winter, homes use a lot more energy than they can generate, and in the spring/fall, they will generate a lot more energy than they need. I've got a large ground mount solar install I put in a few years ago (15.9kW nameplate, though mostly ea…

I have been toying with the idea of buying used panels in bulk and doing the same, but the payoff just isnt there at the current battery price. What kind of frame did you install to mount the panels? I have tons of room for ground mount and would love to do it diy as soon as the costs line up.

Re: Zero energy ready homes are coming

#64

Post by xyst »

I just see this as another subsidy for single family housing developments.

The home may be "zero energy ready" or whatever greenwashing term they want to use. But the fact is they are spending that energy in driving from the sticks (in some cases >20 miles away) and back, driving from their home to the grocery store and back, driving to areas of interest (ie, parks, restaurants, doctors appointments).

All of this is dependent on highways and new roads, new electrical, water, and sewage infrastructure. This is all very expensive to build and maintain, and the cities and municipalities are left to foot the bill.

American housing is a Ponzi scheme and this only helps perpetuate it. We need to reverse this trend with significant investments in public transportation and other alternative forms of transportation which can scale to meet the needs of the future. We need to build vertically and re-claim back the resources allocated for car centric design (ie, highways, parking lots, parking garages, roads, street parking) and re-allocate it for more housing, businesses, and public transportation. Entities that can generate new income for the municipality and city.

In parallel, can work to preserve our existing natural green spaces and hopefully over time expand those green spaces which give us breathable air, drinkable water, protection from natural elements (ie, floods or long periods of torrential rain), and help keep viruses and other bad elements out of human populations.

Re: Zero energy ready homes are coming

#66

Post by [deleted] »

xyst wrote: post #64

I just see this as another subsidy for single family housing developments. The home may be "zero energy ready" or whatever greenwashing term they want to use. But the fact is they are spending that energy in driving from the sticks (in some cases >20 miles away) and back, driving from their home to the grocery store and back, driving to areas of interest (ie, parks, restaurants, doctors appointments). All of this is…

[deleted]

Re: Zero energy ready homes are coming

#67

Post by notShabu »

A GPT blurb about what goes into a zero energy ready home:

>

There are several core technologies and products that go into creating a Zero Energy Ready Home. These include:

Advanced insulation materials: These materials are used to reduce heat loss and gain through walls, roofs, and floors. Examples of advanced insulation materials include spray foam insulation, rigid foam insulation, and blown-in cellulose insulation.

High-performance windows: These windows are designed to minimize heat loss and gain and to improve comfort and natural lighting. They typically have low-e coatings, multiple panes, and insulated frames.

Efficient heating, cooling, and ventilation systems: These systems use advanced technologies to reduce energy consumption and provide a comfortable indoor environment. Examples include geothermal heat pumps, air-source heat pumps, and energy recovery ventilation systems.

Solar panels: These panels are used to generate renewable energy and can be installed on the roof or integrated into the building envelope. They can provide enough energy to power the home and even send excess energy back to the grid.

Energy-efficient appliances and lighting: These products use less energy than conventional models and can help further reduce energy consumption in the home.

Building automation systems: These systems allow homeowners to control and monitor energy use and other home systems remotely, which can help optimize energy efficiency and comfort.

Producers of these products include a variety of companies, from large multinational corporations to smaller regional manufacturers. Some examples of companies that produce products for Zero Energy Ready Homes include Owens Corning and Johns Manville for insulation, Andersen and Marvin for windows, Carrier and Lennox for HVAC systems, SunPower and Tesla for solar panels, and Nest and Ecobee for smart thermostats. There are many other companies and products available, and choosing the right ones depends on factors such as climate, building design, and budget.

>

Re: Zero energy ready homes are coming

#68

Post by wombat_trouble »

mattnewton wrote: post #45
potmat wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> disconnecting from the grid is not permitted Wait, what? What happens if you just don't pay your bill? Edit: Or just disconnect internally, meaning you use no power.

Not OP but in many municipalities the dwelling would be no longer up to code, and therefore illegal to inhabit

Every other home in the US isn't up to code. The code changes over time and governs all kinds of mundane things that you as a homeowner don't pay attention to (and shouldn't be forced to). Not being compliant doesn't make a home illegal to live in.

This is different. Many municipalities specifically require all dwellings to have basic utilities (water, sewer, electricity, garbage service), even if you're not using them. Not having that will get you in trouble pretty quickly.

Unincorporated areas are usually fair game.

Re: Zero energy ready homes are coming

#69

Post by dymk »

mattnewton wrote: post #45
potmat wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> disconnecting from the grid is not permitted Wait, what? What happens if you just don't pay your bill? Edit: Or just disconnect internally, meaning you use no power.

Not OP but in many municipalities the dwelling would be no longer up to code, and therefore illegal to inhabit

Illegal to sell perhaps, but where does that mean illegal to inhabit as well?

Re: Zero energy ready homes are coming

#70

Post by Syonyk »

eppp wrote: post #62
Syonyk wrote: post #28

When you've confused "per kWh cost" with "energy to the house delivery costs," this sort of stuff sounds good on paper, but it doesn't fundamentally solve the problem that in the winter, homes use a lot more energy than they can generate, and in the spring/fall, they will generate a lot more energy than they need. I've got a large ground mount solar install I put in a few years ago (15.9kW nameplate, though mostly ea…

I have been toying with the idea of buying used panels in bulk and doing the same, but the payoff just isnt there at the current battery price. What kind of frame did you install to mount the panels? I have tons of room for ground mount and would love to do it diy as soon as the costs line up.

My system is grid tie, because the local plans review process and I didn't see eye-to-eye on batteries. I have a solar power trailer for backup power.

https://www.sevarg.net/tag/solar2020/ documents the build. My frames are timber, though a neighbor built a very similar system with metal frames and 72 cell panels, and got his costs down quite a bit further - he's around $1/W installed, mine was somewhat higher at about $1.50/W (more expensive panels and a good bit more expensive frame setup).

If you can weld, and find used pipe to build your frames with, you should be able to do sub-$1/W for a DIY install.

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