SEM Helped Make This Home a Zero Energy Home
| It's amazing how much has gone into this house. Every material and every method is first questioned and analyzed for its performance and content before it is used. This means that new and better materials and methods are being implemented in almost every aspect of design and construction! The first commercial application of Blue World Crete concrete - a concrete with NO Portland cement - has proved a success in our slab. Our masons from Gallo have learned how to use Xella/HebelAutoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) to create a wall system that seems so similar to conventional concrete blocks, but has thermal, fire-resistance, and strength advantages that make a world of difference. |
Learn about the Zero Energy America Homes |
Why have we worked so hard to change these materials? The production of Portland cement alone is estimated to make up 5-8% of the worlwide carbon footprint. Conventional concrete blocks (CMU), the principle building materials for houses in Florida, is an inefficient insulator for both air conditioning and heating. This is because CMU can result in a negative r-value, meaning that the temperature of the block is higher in summer and lower in winter than the outside air. This means that during the 5-7 month long sweltering summers we have in Florida, our walls are even hotter than the outside air, causing our AC units to work harder and harder; the inverse in true in winter, taxing HVAC equipment - and in turn, our wallets and our atmosphere - far more than necessary. Not only is there extremely advanced technology going into the home but sometimes it's the obvious and the simple that we're doing better. For example, in the picture to the left, there's a bright orange pipe sticking out of the ground. This pipe will protect the home and its occupants from radon buildup. While the home is already sited in a low-risk area for radon seepage, this pipe allows possible accumulation under the house to vent out the roof. During construction, the pipe is capped off to prevent clogging, but as soon as the roof goes on, it will extend all the way up and out. |
Learn how SEM made this home a zero energy home in Brandon Florida. |
All these firsts make for some very interesting learning curves, but we're proud to master each challenge and learn to build in a new and better way! Plus, you'll be able to watch and learn from our stumbles - and maybe get in a laugh - when the PBS documentary Zero Energy America is released at the completion of Marc Rutenberg's 4 Zero Energy homes.
Solar Energy Management is proud to be the chosen solar contractor for the Zero Energy America Homes
Contact us today to make your home a Zero Energy Home or to build a Zero Energy Home. Call 888-948-4765
Solar Energy Managements Commercial Path to Zero™
The ultimate goal of our company is to help our commercial clients eliminate their electric bill. To help you achieve a Zero Energy building. A building that produces as much energy from renewable energy sources as it consumes, completely eliminating the carbon footprint of energy consumption. Each one of our associated Zero Energy Global companies work together with Solar Energy Management to help you on your journey to a Path to Zero EnergyTM.
A recent example of one of our commercial Path to Zero clients is Sand Pearl resort in Clearwater beach Florida. Many of the energy saving technologies discovered by SEM have less than one year return on investment. (add a picture of sand pearl resort).
Steps to Zero Energy
Step 1. Establishing a Structure Energy/Utility Cost Footprint
Our team does a site visit to your commercial building to establish a current energy/utility cost footprint. An energy/utility footprint includes all the aspects of your building, from power, gas, water, sewer and phone costs.
Quickly achieves substantial energy savings with up to 25% reduction and should include a comprehensive building-wide energy, water, and thermal modeling using sophisticated software;
Step 2. Energy Plan to Eliminate 50% of Costs
Includes planning and engineering a long term energy savings solution which will reduce the energy bill by 50%
Step 3. Energy Plan to Eliminate 75% of Costs
May or may not be a viable option with today’s technology and pricing of renewable energy options. This phase targets a 75% elimination of the energy bill.
Step 4. Plan for Complete Elimination of Energy Costs
Targets the complete elimination of the Energy Bill which today we know that the numbers don’t yet make sense for most com[anise, however our approach defines what the Path to Zero is and contains an alert mechanism which will allow us to take advantage of the savings as soon as they make business and economic sense. We also keep close tabs on Government incentives that may make the implementation of certain technologies feasible faster.