Page 14 - October 2015 Green Builder Magazine

ALTERNATIVE CONSTRUCTION

12

Mainstreaming
Zero-Energy Homes

Making high-performance homes easier to build and more affordable
will convince both builders and homeowners to go net zero.

THE CONCEPT OF a building that generates at leastwww.greenbuildermedia.com 10.2015
as much energy as it consumes, as calculated on a
net-annual basis, is one that more and more people IMAGE CREDIT: BASF
outside of the building professions are getting their
heads around. Smart Sheathing. BASF’s Neopor rigid insulation is made of
Production builders are starting to offer zero-energy homes as closed-cell polystyrene infused with graphite, which reflects
upgrades, or are even creating entire zero-energy developments. and absorbs radiant energy. The R-value ranges from R-4.5 to
The Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) R-4.9 per inch.
program is providing examples of such homes in all regions of the
country, supported by its Building America program research. With A HIGH-PERFORMANCE FORMULA
the drastic decline in the cost of solar energy and availability of
solar leasing programs, achieving the zero-energy goal is becoming By exploring how to shift costs and merge features and benefits,
ever-more attainable. rather than stacking them, BASF has come up with a holistic
strategy that combines high-performance envelopes with
It’s no coincidence that this is happening concurrent with consultative services, through which experts can help builders
increasing awareness of climate change. And in fact, many with their specific issues.
proponents of zero-energy buildings make the link explicit,
pointing to the fact that buildings consume over 40 percent of “We’re doing the same thing we did in the automotive
the energy used in the U.S. industry,” says Davenport. “At some point, we realized it’s about
‘light-weighting’ the car.” BASF’s high-performance, or HP+ wall
But barriers remain.
“We don’t think that green or high-performance construction— continued on page 14
whatever you’d like to call it—can be sustainable unless
it’s affordable,” says Rick Davenport, director of sustainable
construction at BASF. It’s important to understand human
psychology in order to fast-track high performance, he adds.
“Most people will not accept a 10 percent mark-up,” he says.
“Where most people will take action is closer to 2 percent.” With
this in mind, BASF launched its BEYOND.High Performance
initiative in early 2013, with the aim of helping builders achieve
high performance buildings without increasing costs significantly.