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Chapter 4 Sustainability and Housing
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Zero Energy Homes (ZEH)
An example of a sustainable energy home
is a Zero Energy Home (ZEH). The Zero Energy
Home (ZEH) is a home that produces and uses
its own energy—as much or more than it needs.
A ZEH combines state-of-the-art, energy-effi cient
construction and appliances with commercially
available renewable energy systems. These
renewable systems include solar water heating and
solar electricity. Even though the home may have a
connection to an electrical grid, it has zero energy
consumption from the utility company.
The U.S. Department of Energy partners with
building professionals and organizations to further
develop the ZEH concept. Design features of a Zero
Energy Home include
• climate-specifi c design
• passive solar heating and cooling
• energy-effi cient construction
• energy-effi cient appliances and lighting
• solar water heating system
• small solar electric system
Specifi c advantages of Zero Energy Homes are
many. They include
• improved comfort—because the energy-effi cient
structure reduces temperature variations in the home
• reliability—because the home will continue to
operate even during blackouts
• energy security—because the home produces
its own energy and protects the occupant from
fl uctuation in energy prices
• environmental sustainability—by saving energy
and reducing pollution
Earthship Housing
Another example of sustainable building design
is Earthship housing. The name of the housing,
Earthship, suggests the need for housing to be self-
suffi cient just as a “ship” has to be self-suffi cient. This
housing uses passive solar and earth-sheltered design
along with the use of recycled materials to produce
sustainable dwellings. Earthships have the feel you
might expect of housing built on another planet. This
is because the form of the housing structure does
not necessarily follow the angular dimensions people
associate with traditional housing (Figure 4.12).
Michael Reynolds, an architect, founded the
Earthship concept and the Earthship Biotecture business
headquartered in Taos, New Mexico. Near Taos, whole
communities of Earthships exist. Earthships have been
built in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Honduras,
Nicaragua, Bonaire, Jamaica, Bolivia, Scotland, England,
France, the Netherlands, Spain, India, and Japan. There
are over 3,000 Earthships worldwide.
The houses are all different from the outside, but
share a number of features. Figure 4.13 shows the
following features:
• building with recycled materials
• water harvesting
• contained sewage treatment
• solar/thermal heating and cooling
• solar and wind electric power
• food production
The southern side of an Earthship house faces the
sun and collects the heat of the sun through windows to
warm the home. Usually there are two sets of windows.
The outer set creates a greenhouse where plants and
food are grown. The interior set of windows connects
Earthship Biotecture, Taos, New Mexico Earthship Biotecture, Taos, New Mexico
Figure 4.12 The Earthship housing has organic and natural shapes not usually found in angular traditional homes
(A and B).
A
B