The Net-Zero Energy real estate boom starts here



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California, which has ambitious targets for reducing its carbon footprint and promoting the use of renewable energy, is a US leader in the construction of net-zero energy buildings, homes producing as much renewable energy. that they consume each year.

In accordance with the new legislation pbaded in December 2018, all new Californian homes of up to three storeys, with the exception of those that are in the shade or whose roof is too thin to accommodate solar panels, must install solar panels from 2020.

This new requirement could help propel the number of zero-energy buildings starting next year. In 2017, California had more than 5,000 single-family homes with zero net income, according to a report by the Net-Zero Energy Coalition. Net zero multi-family households had more than 7,000 people. According to the annual average increase in new home construction in California, this number could reach 100,000 in 2020, reports CNBC.

The new construction standard in this state could be the main driver of the rise in the number of net-zero energy buildings.

While the new construction standard should allow homeowners to save a lot of long-term energy costs throughout the life of the solar panel system, the new rules will increase the up-front costs for new homes, which means could rule out potential home buyers. price range for the construction of a new house, some have argued.

However, everyone sees the potential long-term benefits of saving costs for homeowners on the one hand, increasing residential solar energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions on the other. Related: the world's largest offshore oil field partially closed

The California Construction Standards Commission (CBSC) approved in December the California Energy Commission's plan pbaded last May, officially making the state the first in the United States to impose this measure of energy efficiency.

In adopting its plan, the California Energy Commission (CEC) announced plans to reduce energy consumption by more than 50 percent in new homes and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which is equivalent to remove 115,000 fossil fuel cars from the road.

According to a CEC badysis, the cost of the solar system would add $ 9,500 to the original cost of the home, but would save $ 19,000 on a 30-year mortgage.

"These energy-efficient, solar-powered homes will save families money on their energy bills as soon as they walk through their doors." Homebuyers will also have a solar storage option and more, allowing them to work day and night for their own clean energy, "said Kelly Knutsen, California Solar & Technology Advancement Manager. Storage Association (CALSSA).

According to CALSSA, the solar industry annually installs about 150,000 new and existing homes in California, of which only about 15,000 are new. California, which builds an average of 80,000 new homes a year, will see its solar installations quadrupled when the new rules come into effect in 2020, according to CALSSA. Related: How Blockchain changes the face of oil trading

The requirements of the solar system could spur net-zero building construction, but these buildings will remain connected to the grid as energy storage solutions remain expensive, experts at CNBC said.

As for the initial costs for a zero-energy home, some studies suggest that these costs are lower than people think.

According to a report by the Rocky Mountain Institute, zero energy homes (ZE) and zero ready energy (ZER) make up less than 1% of the US housing market, "in part because of the outdated perception of the incremental cost of these offers".

The increase in the cost of building a ZE or ZER housing is modest, according to the authors of the report, noting that the incremental costs are 6.7 to 8.1% for ZE dwellings and 0.9 to 2 , 5% for ZER housing. It's "a lot less than consumers, builders and policy makers think," says the report.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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