What happens when a manager of Naval Facilities Energy Initiatives decides to go “net zero” on his home in Washington, D.C.? You get a true zero-energy home, done right on a budget.

Andrew Knox wanted to “walk the walk” of energy efficiency, so he and his wife, Elizabeth, had some decisions to make.  To attain zero net annual energy consumption, the home would need solar panels. The lot is only 3,500 square feet, and the surface area of the roof was about 600 square feet plus another few hundred square feet on a detached garage/shed. With its inefficient HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems, the two-story structure with a basement was going to need more square footage of solar panels