|
Zero energy house premiers in N.C. |
|
|
|
Thursday, 29 September 2005 |
 | | Special to The Appalachian |
by CHARLES NICOLETTI II
Intern News Reporter
A group of Appalachian State University
students, staff and energy consultants have come together to build the
first “zero energy house” in North Carolina.
The house, which was constructed earlier this year in Ridgeview Village
near downtown Hickory, is a joint venture between the Appalachian State
department of technology, the Energy Center and the Catawba Valley
Habitat for Humanity.
The state-of-the-art, sustainable-energy house is the result of the
Affordable Passive Solar Grant, awarded to the Energy Center earlier
this year by the North Carolina Community Development Initiative.
The modest, green house combines advances in construction with
renewable energy systems such as solar water heating to create a house
that produces as much energy as it consumes annually, project manager
Laurel M. Elam said.
A “net-zero energy house” has state-of-the-art advances in sustainable
energy technology, and utilizes passive solar features in the design of
the house. The amount of energy consumed by the house should be equaled
by the amount of energy it produces.
The house is equipped with several solar panels, which produce power
for the water heater and other electrical appliances, all of which are
Energy Star certified. Thus, a net total of 0 percent of energy is
lost every month.
A major feature of the zero energy house is a geothermal heat pump,
which uses the temperature of the earth to heat and cool the house. The
pump regulates the temperature by drawing heat from a series of pipes
buried six feet under the house.
The ground at that depth is warmer then the surface during the winter
and cooler during the summer months. The system is designed to reduce
the amount of energy normally consumed by regular air-conditioning
units.
A. Scott Suddreth, a local sustainable energy expert who was consulted
by the university to assist in the zero energy home’s design, says that
heating and cooling bills should not exceed $24 a month.
“In fact, if [the heating and cooling] bills exceed that amount,
Advanced Energy in Raleigh will pay the difference through a program
called ‘SystemVision,’” Suddreth said.
The house also utilizes elements of “passive solar design,” such as
windows facing south to take advantage of the sun during the winter
months. During the summer months, specially built overhangs block
sunlight - which is more prevalent in the summer months - to prevent
overheating.
Overall, the project combines more then 12 energy saving features, most
of which are cost-effective, especially in the long run.
Additionally, the owner of a zero energy house can sell energy produced
by the house’s solar panels to local power distributors. The power
generated by the house in Hickory is sold to Duke Energy, and is
deducted from the cost of energy.
The group broke ground on the project on Earth Day, April 22, and
finished the project in late July, construction coordinator for Catawba
Valley Habitat for Humanity Rob Howard said. The house will have to
wait for its new owners, however.
“We’re leaving it open for at least a year … so that we can use it as an educational tool,” Howard said.
Trackback(0)
 |
News 
TrackBack URI for this entry
Show/Hide comments
But, a missing piece of info is how much did the zero energy house cost to build, relative to a similar house with standard energy features?