Zero energy homes: Combining energy efficiency and solar energy technologies
In a typical Florida house, air-conditioning accounts for about 35% of all the electricity the home uses. As the largest single source of energy consumption in Florida, a home's air-conditioning load represents the biggest energy challenge facing Florida residents. The Florida Solar Energy Center designed a project to meet this challenge. Two homes were built with the same floor plan on near-by lots. The difference was that one (the control home) conformed to local residential building practices, and the other (the Zero Energy home) was designed with energy efficiency in mind and a solar technology system on the roof. The homes were then monitored carefully for energy use. The projects designers were looked to answer two questions: (1) could a home in a climate such as central Florida be engineered and built so efficiently that a relatively small PV system would serve the majority of its cooling needs--and even some of its daytime electrical needs; and (2) would that home be as comfortable and appealing as the conventional model built alongside it? The answer was yes, even though it was conducted in the summer of 1998--one of the hottest summers on record in Florida.
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-99GO10337
- OSTI ID:
- 754722
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/BR-550-27809; DOE/GO-102000-0978; TRN: AH200012%%69
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 9 Mar 2000
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Feasibility of Achieving a Zero-Net-Energy, Zero-Net-Cost Homes
Solar Living House Final Technical Report
Related Subjects
14 SOLAR ENERGY
SOLAR ARCHITECTURE
THERMAL INSULATION
DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS
PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER SUPPLIES
POWER DEMAND
CAPACITY
THERMAL COMFORT
AESTHETICS
ATTITUDES
FLORIDA
ZERO ENERGY
SOLAR BUILDINGS
SOLAR WATER HEATING
PHOTOVOLTAIC
PV
WHOLE BUILDING
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
RENEWABLE ENERGY
SOLAR ENERGY
WATER HEATING