What does “Zero Net Energy” really mean?

The De Young Properties Zero Net Energy home was designed to produce as much energy as it consumes each year, which ultimately “zero’s” out its energy-related carbon impact on the environment.

Once You Go Zero, You’ll Never Go Back

For 40 years, De Young Properties has been building homes in the Central Valley, always committed to industry-leading innovation, unsurpassed quality, and long before it was popular – environmental responsibility. In 2010, De Young Properties introduced the Zero Net Electric option, designed to reduce annual electricity usage to zero. Last year, in collaboration with Pacific Gas & Electric, we introduced the Zero Net Energy Home, which takes it one big step further, by producing as much energy as it consumes each year.

The De Young Zero Net Energy Home supports California’s Long Term Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan that requires all new residential homes in California be ZNE by 2020. The information that De Young and PG&E collect from this concept home will be used in the roadmap to achieve maximum residential energy savings in California.

Here are a few of the innovative, state-of-the-art features that make it possible:

• Hot, Hot, Hot – Harvesting heat from the air around it to heat the water in its tank, a 245% efficient Hybrid Heat Pump Water Heater offsets electricity or natural gas.
• The More You Know – To help reach the goal of zero net energy, a Home Energy Management System was installed to give real-time energy consumption and production feedback directly to your computer, cellular phone and tablet.
• Power Up – A 6.125 kW solar photovoltaic system from SolarCity to offset all of the home’s estimated energy use.
• Insta-Hot – A motion-activated hot water recirculation system recirculates fresh hot water to each faucet providing hot water to occupants much faster than usual and only runs when it is needed.
• Night Lights – Using LED lighting, this motion-activated circadian night light system lights up automatically at night in hallways and under cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms.
• Large and In-Charge – The garage is fitted with an outlet designed for charging an Electric Vehicle.

See It To Believe It

As an industry leader, De Young Properties is paving the way for the future of homebuilding in California – Zero Net Energy homes are a reality, and now that you know this technology exists, it will be just a little bit harder to pay that utility bill every month.

Come see the future of energy efficiency! Visit the De Young Properties Zero Net Energy home, located in the De Young Clovis Welcome Center at Armstrong, south of Gettysburg in Clovis. Open to the public, daily.

AUTHOR: Brandon De Young, Vice President

The post What is a Zero Net Energy Home and how can it benefit me? appeared first on De Young Properties.