Net Zero

Finally! We toured a platinum level LEED house! (The highest level in "green" building you can get.) I didn't even know people in Texas cared about this stuff and I've been dying to see something in person. The tour was awesome and the information just reinforced our many ideas and feelings on the matter.

Net Zero means the house provides as much energy for itself as it uses. It does not mean it's completely off the grid. They collect electricity via solar panels (which are coming way down in price by the way) and collect rain water to feed the landscaping. And the house only has 2% leakage. Woah.

Below is a photo of the back. I have always loved architecture that wraps around nature as this does here—leaving the trees to provide beauty and shade. Also, most of the windows are on this side, allowing the maximum amount of light to enter the house with minimum heat. It's all about which way the house faces, of course. The windows are all placed strategically for what my dad calls "the art of air flow."
Below is the front with minimum windows. This is the hottest side of the house. The roof is metal and won't need much maintenance for at least 50 years. Adam and I had already decided we wanted this kind of roof, so learning more about it was awesome.
Below, Dad Moon standing on the back porch. Below right, see those two black steel pipes? There are several of them holding up the patio trellis It is piping used from oil drilling. So resourceful!
Below, the toilet has two buttons marked 1 for #1 and 2 for #2 for smart water usage. Also, notice the floor. It's all stained concrete. Adam and I have been discussing this for quite a while but hadn't seen it in a home yet. After seeing it here, we are in love. (We hate carpet, it's so filthy! And sticking with cement is so cheap!)


And I know, some people are turned off by the cost of a project such as this one. But I still feel that we are responsible to learn all we can and implement what we can. Knowledge is ALL good— no matter what the subject, no matter what your income level.
In all, we enjoyed the tour. The project leader was knowledgeable and his team resourceful. I just knew there were people who used their brains in this industry, and it was a pleasure to hear what these top notch problem solvers had to say.

There's a lot more to this project than what I've posted here.
If you'd like to read more and see videos and pictures of this house click here.