PulteGroup develops net-zero-energy home

PulteGroup has constructed a zero-net-energy home prototype in Northern California ahead of the Golden State’s 2020 deadline.

The California Public Utilities Commission’s Long Term Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan in 2008 included goals that all new residential construction will be zero-net energy by 2020 and all new commercial construction by 2030.

Zero-net energy consumption, which is the total amount of energy used by a home or building on an annual basis, must equal the amount of renewable energy created.

Nevada does not have a similar plan.

“In Southern Nevada, we continue to be the leaders in the nation in building to the latest energy code without adopting amendments that weaken the energy efficiency,” said Nat Hodgson, executive director at Southern Nevada Home Builders Association. “We have not formally talked about true net-zero, but have been working on legislation to think outside the box when it comes to building new homes and embrace all the new technology that is being developed every day into our process.”

While Pulte hasn’t begun building zero-net energy homes in Las Vegas, Brian Jamison, national director of procurement for PulteGroup said the company is implementing several of the products into their homes in Southern Nevada.

“Some of the technology we’re using in this home has been on the drawing board for zero-net energy for a while and the Las Vegas market has been a market where some of this technology has been deployed,” he said.

Pulte’s zero-net energy home prototype design combines airtight building methods, on-site solar energy production, as well as highly efficient insulation, HVAC and lighting technologies.

Jamison said the company wanted to build a California zero-net energy home prototype early in order to test products and collect consumer feedback.

“We want to ask buyers if they like them and if they add value to their lives,” he said. “The home will get monitored for 12 months to see how and where the energy is being used and if energy is being used the way consumers like.”

Jamison said Pulte’s zero-net energy home will include attic insulation that is blown into a net on the bottom of the roof to keep heat from entering through the roof in the attic. A MERV 15 air filter lets the home breath as it brings air from the outside and filters it before releasing it back outside. A smart thermostat can track the homeowner’s proximity to the home through geofencing and turn itself on when they’re getting close. A tankless water heater only turns on when the homeowner wants hot water.

“We’ll also be installing Energy Star appliances so the house is engineered to perform a certain way,” he said. “Testing these products with our consumers gives us the opportunity to see what they want in their home.”

The new energy-efficient features Pulte has introduced to Las Vegas that also have been included in its new zero-net-energy home prototype include similar versions of the attic insulation and smart thermostats.

Though zero-net energy homes haven’t made their way to Las Vegas yet, Jamison said it most likely won’t be much longer.

“As homebuilders, we know that everything starts in California and works its way east,” he said. “They often lead in code and new products.”

Jamison added, “Phoenix, Denver and Las Vegas are green markets and we’re looking to see where this will jump out of California and go to first.”

Contact reporter Ann Friedman at afriedman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4588. Follow @AnnFriedmanRJ on Twitter.