The components that make up any home are common to building, but they are viewed as parts of a whole when building a Net Zero home since they rely upon each other to achieve maximum efficiency. Building envelope, air flow, ventilation, appliances, HVAC efficiency and even the orientation of the house itself are important. The building envelope is everything between the inside of your home and the world outside. It includes doors and windows, insulation and exterior walls, the foundation, and the roof. Net Zero energy-efficient building envelopes are a huge factor in keeping energy costs down by limiting the amount of air and heat lost through leakage: a house that is properly and thoroughly sealed keeps the air and heat inside for longer, which means that your heating and cooling systems don’t need to work as hard to keep your home comfortable. Controlling heat flow is another important factor of the envelope. The laws of physics state that hot goes to cold. You can’t change it, but you can control it by installing materials that are poor conductors of heat, so in the winter the warmth will stay inside, and in the summer the heat will stay outside instead of passing through your walls, roof and floors. To maintain comfort, the heat lost in the winter must be replaced by your heating system, and the heat gained in the summer must be removed by your cooling system. Properly insulating your home will decrease this heat flow by providing an effective resistance to the flow of heat. Ventilation or air flow through the home is vital to
air quality and comfort, but it also increases your energy efficiency. We are all human beings, and as walking 98.6 degree engines, we feel most comfortable between 68 and 72 degrees – 4 degrees lower we start to feel cold, and 4 degrees higher we start to feel hot. Maintaining the most comfortable atmosphere can be accomplished in large part by moving the air in a manner that achieves a balance between humidity, air movement and fresh air intake without turning on the air conditioner or heating source in the house, thus saving energy usage. Controlling water away from the home and managing moisture within the home are also key factors, as the passage of water and water vapor through to the interior of the envelope structure is a significant factor in the leakage of thermal energy. Using the right methods and products in a holistic manner results in an energy-efficient home that is affordable, comfortable, durable and a home your family will enjoy for years to come. For more information, visit www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/ zero-energy-ready-home. Bill Janhonen is a Building Science instructor, HERS rater, Energy Star verifier and longtime writer of several articles on Sustainable Building. He holds a Brokers license in three states (NY, CT and NC), and is an approved instructor for the National Association of Home Builders – oh, and he is an advisor to Green Living Magazine. For questions, contact William Janhonen at wjanhonen@wsjenterprises.com.
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