When it comes to your home, you probably aren’t aware of the impact it has in terms of energy efficiency. With electrical appliances, stoves and heating systems, our homes consume a large amount of energy which can not only cost a fortune but also play a big part towards influencing our carbon footprint. This lack of knowledge when it comes to energy data is one of the reasons why the United States are looking to develop net-zero homes – those which generate as much energy as they use over the course of a year. One strategy is to require that all energy costs be listed in the transactions when a property is rented or sold. This means that the energy would be incorporated in the appraisal process, meaning that the energy cost could be considerations in the valuation of principle, interest, tax and insurance.
In net-zero energy homes, the energy load would be significantly lower than the current heating and cooling equipment that is built to deliver. According to the report, manufacturers would require new guidelines and data so that they can size their equipment correctly and align the performance of the equipment to meet the conditions in the home. The behaviour and requirements of the homeowners and builders could provide the most difficult set of challenges – one important requirement is to help designers and builders, as well as the occupants, to understand how to analyse the home energy data. As consumers, we need information that is useful and understandable in order to make better choices – the same can be said of net-zero homes and existing properties. Energy efficiency is vital in order to reduce out carbon footprint, and this initiative could be the answer in the future.
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