Home using ‘Net Zero’ energy opens in Serenbe Saturday, June 9, 2012
Could there be a house that comes with no energy costs over the course of a year? The answer is “yes.” The only one of its kind in the United States, the Bosch Net Zero Model Home is now open just miles from Coweta and Fayette counties in the Serenbe community in Chattahoochee Hills.
The 1,650 square-foot house features a complete solution suite of Bosch technologies, TOTO WaterSense plumbing and fixtures and Castle Combe hardwood floors. Based on normal energy use, Net Zero technology enables a family of four to live in the home over the course of a year without incurring any energy costs, according to Bosch and its partner in the project, Canadian-based EcoPlusHome. The home's energy use is measured by a net meter system on the power grid, which credits the energy created by the house and debits the energy used by the consumer, resulting in (or close to) net zero consumption, according to Bosch.
Project representative Tom Black said the home is equipped with a variety of innovative products designed to provide the net-zero energy cost to the consumer.
Black said Bosch's Net Zero solution suite is a complete system approach that simplifies sustainable living decisions and makes Net Zero homes more affordable for consumers.
The Bosch technology creates a quiet environment without the hum of working appliances, Black said.
So what is inside and outside the home? A Bosch geothermal heat pump taps into naturally occurring energy stored in the earth as ground and water temperatures below the earth's surface are relatively constant. The heat pump has lower operating costs than a traditional system and the quiet operation lowers noise pollution.
Positioned on the roof are Bosch photovoltaic solar panels to power the home by using high efficient solar cells to transform ultraviolet sun rays into electrical energy. And a Bosch Compress electric heat pump water heater uses the heat and humidity from the surrounding air to heat the water. As an extra benefit, the pump also cools and dehumidifies the air in the home.
And the house is outfitted with Bosch products such as a built-in dishwasher, oven, cook top, compact washer and dryer, refrigerator and ventilation hood.
The Net Zero Home also includes the TOTO Dual-Max flushing system that allows the user to select the appropriate amount of water usage and WaterSense certified low-flow faucets conserve water. And underfoot are Castle Combe hardwood floors from U.S. Floors made from managed forest resources and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. The hardwood floors throughout the model home have the look and feel of reclaimed wood but provide the modern performance of an engineered hardwood floor.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163