Building Bridges for Efficiency

Defying Expectations with Net Zero Energy Homes

Moderator(s)

• 

  Emily Kemper

  Director, Residential Solutions
  CLEAResult
  Portland, Oregon

Panelist(s)

• 

  Jacob Corvidae

  Principal
  Rocky Mountain Institute
  Boulder, Colorado
• 

  Steven Lefler

  Vice President
  Modular Lifestyles, Inc.
  Irvine, California
• 

  Brenda Nunes

  Managing Broker
  KW Nunes Group Real Estate
  Kirkland, Washington

Everyone likes the idea of zero energy homes, but most builders and buyers assume that the cost premium is too high and is a luxury benefit. In this session, presenters will explore examples and research that shows green can be affordable. This includes Selah Vista, a community of high-performance homes being built in Eastern Washington. Emily Kemper and real estate agent Brenda Nunes will also explain the vision for the community and process of selling such high-performance homes, including the comfort, control, and the health benefits that appeal to average homebuyers. Additionally, Steven Lefler will navigate the California road to 2020 Zero Net Energy and Solar Mandate and present factory built, energy efficient, affordable housing solutions using on and off-grid technology. Finally, you’ll hear new research from Rocky Mountain Institute and the Department of Energy that looks at the most cost-effective ways to build zero energy homes in different climate and economic contexts across the US, comparing those approaches to important thresholds for market appeal.

Learning Objectives:

• Explore the building science techniques that help homes reach Zero Energy Ready status
• Understand the various approaches to developing and selling high-performance homes in future neighborhoods
• Hear about research on the topic of high-performance home construction and realize that net zero energy construction is not as costly as many people think it is