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Nevada Southwest Energy Partnership (NSWEP), Nevada Power, Pinnacle Homes, ConSol and the Center for Energy Research have completed the construction on a Zero Energy Home (ZEH). This is a 1610 sq. ft. single family home. This is the average size home for the Las Vegas area.

Pre-cast concrete walls were used for the exterior walls which can bring the insulation up to an R-31 rating. This is much more energy efficient than the R-16 insulation that is used for most homes in the Las Vegas valley. To help prevent heat gain through the windows, spectrally selective glass was used. This glass lets visible light through but keeps the solar heat gain out which will lower the heat traveling through the windows. Due to the energy savings of the insulation and windows, a smaller heating and cooling system was be installed. A 5-kW roof integrated photovoltaic (PV) system was installed on the south side of the roof. This will be a source of power throughout the year.

Figure 2. ZEH South Facing Roof. 4.8-kW solar array, 40-gallon solar water heater and local weather station.

At the end of each fiscal year, this home will have generated as much power as it has consumed. During the summer months the home will be using more power than it is producing. However, during the spring and fall months, the home will be producing more power than it is using, so by the end of the year it will equal out.

Figure 3. Project houses, Baseline left, ZEH right.

Figure 3 is an image of the Zero Energy Home next to a conventional one of the same floor plan. Both of these houses will be studied for 18 months. Measurements are being taken throughout both homes so that all of the energy saving anemities can be studied and compared.

For more information, please visit the NSWEP project page.