A Model Net Zero Home by the Numbers
The community of Serenbe, a multi-use development outside Atlanta in Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia, was founded with sustainability in mind. Seventy percent of its 1,000 acres is preserved natural space, and many of its buildings use geothermal heating and water-conserving appliances. But one of its greenest homes might be one that was built specifically as a model to showcase energy-efficient technologies. (See related post: “Energy Efficiency on the Farm and Beyond“)
The Bosch Net Zero home, which is designed to accommodate a family of four with zero annual energy costs, opened to the public last summer and went on the market in September. The details:
Price: $499,000 (unfurnished)
Square footage: 1,650 (three bedrooms, 2.5 baths)
Anticipated energy bills: $0
Typical energy bill for a U.S. single-family home: $2,200
Amount of that typical bill used for heating costs: 29 percent
Estimated savings from the house’s geothermal heat pump: 70 percent
Number of solar panels on the house: 18
Amount of water used per flush with a standard low-flow toilet: 1.6 gallons
Amount used by the Net Zero house toilets: 1.28 gallons
Estimated water savings from the home’s washing machine: 5,040 gallons a year
Another Net Zero home at Serenbe, which was meant to be the original model, was sold before construction was finished. Serenbe is also the site of HGTV’s Green Home 2012, which was given away last year.
Do green features in a home make you more likely to buy? Post your thoughts on the Net Zero home at Serenbe in the comments.
