What homeowner wouldn’t like to live in a house that produces as much energy as it uses during the year? Such houses, termed “Zero Energy” homes (and their precursors, “Zero Energy Ready” homes) will be explained during a seminar on Friday, September 14, 2018, from 7:30-10:30 a.m. at The Innevation Center University of Nevada, Reno, 450 Sinclair St. The public is invited but a $10 registration fee is required.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) defines zero-energy homes as having been built to strict standards that include exceptionally efficient insulation, Energy Star appliances, and similar measures, and that also come equipped with systems to produce clean energy (such as solar panels). Their precursors, which DOE calls zero-energy ready homes, have most of the same energy-saving measures but lack an installed clean energy system – although solar panels or other clean resource can easily be added later. A zero-energy ready house, DOE says, is “a high-performance home, which is so energy efficient that a renewable energy system can offset all or most of its annual energy consumption.
“The U.S. Department of Energy’s ‘Zero Energy Ready Home,’ represents a whole new level of home performance, with rigorous requirements that ensure outstanding levels of energy savings, comfort, health, and durability,” explains Nancy Kellogg, one of the event’s presenters and a building program associate at the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP).
“There is growing demand for these homes from young and old alike,” says Annette Bubak, a Las Vegas-based real estate marketing expert who has advanced ENERGY STAR-qualified homebuilding, roof-top solar use, and other sustainable building practices in Southern Nevada. Bubak, who also will speak at the Sept. 14 event, notes that “this segment of the market saw a 52 percent increase from 2017 to 2018.”
“We encourage consumers to attend this seminar, along with home builders and other building industry and real estate professionals,” says Kellogg. “With Northern Nevada in the midst of a rapid growth phase, this is an opportunity to build the homes of the future today, benefitting not only home owners, but also contributing to the sustainability of the region from an environmental as well as economic standpoint.”
The workshop is presented by SWEEP and the Green Alliance and sponsored by the City of Reno, NV Energy, Southwest Gas, the Nevada Governor’s Office of Energy, and Nevada Energy Forums and Exhibitions (NV|EfX).
A $10 registration fee includes light refreshments. Space is limited to 50 participants. Please register online at GreenAllianceNV.org. For questions or more details, please contact Tom Polikalas of SWEEP at 775-386-7411 or [email protected]
More about the presenters:
Nancy Kellogg is a Program Associate in the Buildings Program at the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP). She specializes in encouraging diverse stakeholders towards Zero Net Energy (ZNE), DOE’s Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) and Home Performance with ENERGY STAR construction, through outreach, research, and education. Beginning her career as a Certified RESNET Rater, and later as a BPI Building Analyst, she has thoroughly enjoyed testing, inspecting and consulting with progressive builders and existing homeowners alike.
Annette Bubak is a real-estate marketing expert who has led the way in Southern Nevada in the advancement of ENERGY STAR qualified home building, roof top solar use, and sustainable building practices in general. She oversaw the Nevada New Home Energy Program for Tesla introducing builders to the latest in clean energy technology. She is a National Association of REALTOR’s Green Council-GREEN Designation instructor and an enthusiastic speaker on the topic of home buyer demand for energy-efficient and high-performance homes.
About SWEEP: The Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) is a public-interest organization promoting greater energy efficiency and clean transportation in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.
