EcoSmart Stud 
Let’s take a look at what utility bill savings are possible when building a Net Zero home. To start with, look at this case study home from past articles. This Zero Energy Ready home design is a 3 bedroom 2 bath rambler that is a 1420 finished sq ft above grade. With 1,000 unfinished sq ft below grade for future use.
If you need a refresher on what the insulation standards are for a Zero Energy Ready Home in climate zone 6 take a look at this article from the Build Series that goes over all the insulation requirements. Now lets add the the estimated 5.5 KW solar array needed to make this a Net Zero Home and take a look at the numbers.
Estimated Net Zero Gas and Electric Bills Savings
With $2495 being our first year of savings for this Net Zero home we can now do some calculations into the future to figure out potential money saved on gas and electric bills. For this article the 6.75% historical average increase from Real Cost of Energy is going to be used because 10% annual increases for any period of time is just too scary. Let’s take a look.
Looking at the potential savings for our case study home, lets add some cost estimates to see if it’s worth adding the Solar Array to this case study Zero Energy Ready Home.
Return On Investment (ROI)
The upgrade costs cover several different styles of construction for this home. If we are looking for the shortest ROI (return on investment) the lowest figure of the cost upgrade range (using EcoSmart™ Studs) makes the most sense. It would take about 7 years of saving to equal your Net Zero home upgrade cost investment. Even at the higher cost upgrade range the ROI is under 10 years and that is at only with utility bill costs going up 6.75% per year, the historical average. Any higher increase per year shortens the ROI figure considerably in the first 10 years.
Notice that the figures are forecasted out 30 years or the length of the mortgage. The savings over 30 years are not just considerable, they are significant. These savings are 100% safe unlike any other investment you can make. Modern homes will always need power, and with a Net Zero home, you can look forward to substantial savings over the short and long term.
Another New Cost Savings, Bi-Directional Charging
With the advent of bi-directional charging and constant improvement of battery technology, a Net Zero new home with the addition of a backup battery system makes even more sense. Drive to work during the day and come home and power your home with your car! This makes solar/battery systems even more affordable. A plug in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) has a battery equal to 2 home batteries. Any (BEV) battery electric vehicle will have a battery equivalent to 5-10 home batteries. This much power can easily keep just about any average house powered during an extended power outage or cloudy streak.
The Future of Net Zero Homes is Bright
A Net Zero home produces as much energy as it consumes. A Net Zero Home is not just a goal for individual homeowners, but a larger movement towards sustainability, with the aim of all new single-family homes being Net Zero by 2050. With the cost of power rising in leaps and bounds, the argument of not building a Net Zero home makes no financial sense.
Next up, what if you invested your gas and electric bills savings.