In designing affordable net-zero, Kaufmann says, it’s also critical to remember that customers in this market are more interested in monthly payments than long-term payback. The most cost-effective thing to do for them is to minimize energy use through efficiency, she says, because the savings offer lower monthly payments right off the bat.
Big Ambitions
Perhaps the most ambitious vision for modular net-zero is taking place at San Francisco-based ZETA Communities.
Backed by millions of dollars in venture capital funding, the start-up operates a 91,000-sq. ft. factory in Sacramento, making mostly town homes, condominiums, and multi-family units. Its most recent project is Tierra del Sol, 22 net-zero homes in an affordable community in Stockton, California. The company recently announced plans to expand to the Northwest later this year, and go national over time.
Homes coming out of the Sacramento factory are largely custom-designed for clients, according to Shilpa Sankaran, ZETA’s co-founder and vice president for marketing. Starting with a basic, prefab package, however, cuts costs 10-20%, compared to stick-built net-zero.
ZETA typically integrates solar electric to achieve net-zero; solar hot water is considered case-by-case. If a project’s budget is tight, ZETA also wires and plumbs homes to be “net-zero-energy ready,” so solar can be added later.
An important lesson, Sankaran says, is to work from the start with an integrated design team that includes builders and engineers, so that the home actually performs as planned. An often-overlooked member of that team is the owner. If the owner wants lots of north-facing windows and inefficient lighting, for example, and makes power-hungry lifestyle choices, the house won’t meet the net-zero design projections -–-no matter how well it’s designed.
“Think about how the house is going to be used,” Sankaran says.
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