Students explore their homes and find opportunities to save energy.

Net Zero Energy Buildings (NZEBs) are structures that produce as much energy as they consume over the course of a year. This project starts by asking students to be curious about the places they live. We ask: what are the biggest energy consumers in a typical United States home? What ways could that energy consumption be reduced? Through this exploration they determine that the biggest energy consumers are related to comfort-control and hot water heating, therefore many of the aspects of a NZEB are related to minimizing heat transfer and taking advantage of the sun. The energy balance that a NZEB achieves comes through production via photovoltaic cells and reduction of consumption through insulation, supersealing, highly efficient windows, implementation of overhangs and thermal mass, and using low energy appliances [1].

Once students understand what the major energy users in a typical home are and how to reduce energy use, they explore their own homes and determine what opportunities are available to move their homes towards Net Zero, which adds value in terms of saved energy costs and environmental impact.

Suggested Approach:
Introduction / Checklist Generation:
At the start of the project, students are introduced to the concept of Net Zero Energy via presentation. As an in-class exercise, students (in small teams) read about select homes that have won Net Zero Awards and summarize their features for the class. Two to three weeks before a University break students should be asked to be curious about what features in their own homes might make them closer or farther from Net Zero. Generate a class-wide list of important features to serve as a checklist for students to use when they go home on break.

Data Collection:
During a University break, students analyze their home for net-zero properties using the class-generated (or instructor-provided) checklist that considers things such as number and types of windows, type of insulation, orientation of the home and other important characteristics. Students are also expected to obtain energy consumption data (from utility bills) for their home for several months of the previous year (e.,g., January, April, July, October).

Deliverables:
Net Zero Home Memo:
Students then write a memo describing their home in its current state with respect to Net Zero Energy properties and make suggestions for ways to add value to their home by bringing it closer to Net Zero.

Solar Analysis Memo:
Students use the data they obtained from their energy bills and from websites such as NREL’s PVWatts to estimate the potential for solar power to meet their energy needs. In a brief memo they summarize the suitability of solar for their home (given roof orientation and area, other space considerations, and shading), what size solar array would be needed to meet all of their current energy needs, and what size solar array would be reasonable given the suitability analysis.