The production housing builder, Meritage Homes, participated in the research study by designating 20 houses in the Sierra Crest Homes subdivision to be built to a ZNE house specification, incorporating construction features, a solar PV system and, for nine of the houses, a battery energy storage component.
The ZNE houses at Sierra Crest were designed with strategies for higher insulation levels and air-tightness of the envelope, EnergyStar appliances, high-efficiency LED light fixtures, electric heat pumps for heating and cooling, heat pump water heaters and, of course, a baseline solar PV system.
The houses are equipped with a high-efficiency air-source heat pump split system for heating and cooling (SEER 15, HSPF 9). The air distribution is via ductwork from the equipment located in the conditioned attic space and utilizing an advanced control system to manage fresh-air intake, air-temperature and humidity.
The ZNE houses use a 50-gallon, highly energy-efficient electric water heater that is designed based on heat pump technology rather than normal electric heating elements. The houses also utilize water-efficient features such as high pressure/low flow shower heads and faucets to reduce overall consumption of hot water.
All of the homes were originally specified with LED light fixtures that provide energy-efficiency.
Check out the
ZNE-Case-Study-Homes-Volume-1 to learn more about this project.