Ergeheilalt
10-20-2007, 01:57 PM
http://www.thedailygreen.com/2007/10/19/california-aims-for-zero-energy-homes/7949/
California Aims for Zero Energy Homes
All New Homes Built After 2020 Would Make as Much Energy as they Use
California energy regulators adopted an ambitious first-of-its kind rule yesterday, making it a goal that all new homes built after 2020 produce as much energy as they consume, according to the Los Angeles Times.
With so-called “distributed energy” technology includes familiar things like solar panels and geothermal heating and cooling systems, as well as high-performance windows and good-old insulation, but aiming for zero net energy homes represents a goal that even ambitious builders often fail to meet — at least today.
That’s the genius of this move. California’s rule will — like federal requirements for vehicle fuel economy — spur innovation in the industry so that lingering obstacles to achieving that goal will fall away.
Further, it addresses a thorny problem in new construction. Owners benefit from energy efficiency over the long term, but often developers have no incentive to build green.
Now, in California anyway, they do. And future homeowners will be the beneficiaries.
:applaud:
This is so awesome!
With 12 years to make the shift in technology, this type of legislation will serve as a looming cattle prod to force engineers and scientists to dedicate time and money to the burgeoning, but lacking, field of low impact human construction.
And while I'm certain that this will do very well in Southern California with photovoltaic roofing materials, I'm interested to see what happens in NorCal. The gloomy weather will mean that the incident solar radiation density will be lower, requiring some additional means of energy generation. I'd love to see communal biomass digesters - but work is need there as well to sequester all the CO2 produced in the combustion and production process.
What are your thoughts?
California Aims for Zero Energy Homes
All New Homes Built After 2020 Would Make as Much Energy as they Use
California energy regulators adopted an ambitious first-of-its kind rule yesterday, making it a goal that all new homes built after 2020 produce as much energy as they consume, according to the Los Angeles Times.
With so-called “distributed energy” technology includes familiar things like solar panels and geothermal heating and cooling systems, as well as high-performance windows and good-old insulation, but aiming for zero net energy homes represents a goal that even ambitious builders often fail to meet — at least today.
That’s the genius of this move. California’s rule will — like federal requirements for vehicle fuel economy — spur innovation in the industry so that lingering obstacles to achieving that goal will fall away.
Further, it addresses a thorny problem in new construction. Owners benefit from energy efficiency over the long term, but often developers have no incentive to build green.
Now, in California anyway, they do. And future homeowners will be the beneficiaries.
:applaud:
This is so awesome!
With 12 years to make the shift in technology, this type of legislation will serve as a looming cattle prod to force engineers and scientists to dedicate time and money to the burgeoning, but lacking, field of low impact human construction.
And while I'm certain that this will do very well in Southern California with photovoltaic roofing materials, I'm interested to see what happens in NorCal. The gloomy weather will mean that the incident solar radiation density will be lower, requiring some additional means of energy generation. I'd love to see communal biomass digesters - but work is need there as well to sequester all the CO2 produced in the combustion and production process.
What are your thoughts?