The Return of Zero Energy Homes
Zero or near zero energy
homes are all the rage throughout the U.S. today. Projects
are underway in
Tucson, AZ, several cities in California, and one was built
two years ago in Dallas
that was designed by Austin's Peter Pfeiffer, FAIA. Locally,
the Green Building Program and the
City's Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Office
designed an affordable zero energy homes subdivision a couple
of years ago but were unable to complete the project at the
original location due to neighborhood concerns about cost.
Zero energy homes can
easily be built with today's technology; however, they are
simply not financially feasible for most people at this time.
Zero energy capable means that homes are energy efficient
enough to make the addition of on-site power generation, usually
photovoltaic (PV) systems, cost effective. For PVs to be cost
effective, homes will have to be between 60% and 70% more
energy efficient than a home built to code today. The
National Association of Home Builders and
U.S.DOE have projected that zero energy homes will be cost
effective by 2030. Austin aims to speed that time-frame up
by more than a decade.
On August 10, the Austin
City Council took a unique approach to building zero energy
homes. They directed the City Manager to create a zero energy
task force made up of construction industry representatives
and energy efficiency and renewable energy activists. The
task force is charged with developing a road map for all homes
in Austin to be zero energy capable by 2015. This is an aggressive
timeline but most people active in the construction industry
recognize that Austin is already well ahead of the curve when
it comes to energy efficiency.
To reach this ambitious
goal, the zero energy task force may choose to make recommendations
for energy efficiency measures to be incorporated into the
2009 Energy Code. These recommendations will be evaluated
through the Green Building Program and those that meet the
criteria set by the task force will be included in the next
code adoption process. The City's Energy Code is amended during
three-year cycles. City adoption of the 2006 International
Energy Conservation Code (IECC) with amendments is currently
underway. The task force will also develop a process for turning
the long term supervision of the project over the Resource
Management Commission after their final report to council
in April of 2007.
Zero Energy Capable Homes Task
Force Members
| Name |
Organization |
| Brook Bulow |
Greater Austin Home Builders'
Association |
| Ray Tonjes |
Greater Austin Home Builders'
Association |
| Tara Thomason |
Greater Austin Home Builders'
Association |
| Peter Pfeiffer |
Greater Austin Home Builders'
Association |
| Jeremy Smith, P.E. |
ASHRAE, Austin Chapter |
| Al D'Andrea |
ACCA, Austin Chapter |
| Chris Strand |
ACCA, Austin Chapter |
| Michele Van Hyfte |
AIA COTE, Austin Chapter |
| Phillip Schmandt |
Electric Utility Commission |
| Everitt Hicks |
Plumbing &
Air Conditioning Contractors, Austin |
| Lee Doar |
Community Housing Development
Organization (CHDO) Roundtable |
| TBD |
US DOE |
| Michael Gatto |
Foundation Communities/Austin
Community Design and Development Center |
| Jane Pulaski |
Solar Austin |
| Stephanie Hunter |
TX Solar Energy Society |
| Tom Smith |
Public Citizen |
| Karen Strnad |
Resource Management Commission |
| Adam Martinez |
Resource Management Commission |
| Richard Morgan |
Austin Energy staff representative |
| Ron Menard |
WPDR staff representative |
Resources
Austin
Energy press release
Austin
Business Journal article
NAHB
Zero Energy Homes Impact Study
U.S.
DOE Factsheet: Moving Towards Zero Energy Homes
|
