Stoughton homeowners occupy net zero energy home
From a news release issued by WPPI Energy:
Additional proposals now being accepted for net zero homes
STOUGHTON, WIS., December 10 – Homeowners John and Rebecca Scheller recently completed a net zero energy home (NZEH) that combines state of the art, energy efficient construction and appliances with renewable energy systems through WPPI Energy’s GreenMax Home initiative.
A NZEH is one that produces as much energy as it consumes, yielding a net zero impact on the nation’s energy supply. Through the GreenMax Home initiative, the Schellers built their home in the WPPI Energy member service territory of Stoughton Utilities and encourage others interested in reducing their carbon footprint to apply for funding to help build or renovate a home with net zero energy use. . . .
To date, two GreenMax Homes have been completed in the WPPI Energy member service territories of Black River Falls, Wis. and Stoughton, Wis. The Schellers worked with Shaw Building & Design, Inc. and WPPI Energy to construct their NZEH, which was finished in November 2009. The couple will collaborate with WPPI Energy and Stoughton Utilities to share their experiences and monitor their energy use.
In Black River Falls, after five months of recorded energy use, Tom and Verona Chambers’ home continues to produce more energy than the homeowners consume, putting them on track to reach their 12-month net zero energy goal. . . .
The Schellers used readily available building materials to demonstrate the ease of building a cost effective, highly energy efficient home.
They paid careful attention to details, such as insulation and air sealing, while using standard building practices and materials comparable to most average homes today.
The couple’s attention to details will deliver energy savings for years to come. Among 11,000 homes tested through Wisconsin Energy Star Home testing, the Schellers’ home places in the top one percentile for air tightness.
“The Schellers’ home emphasizes one of the most important goals of the GreenMax Home initiative, which is to demonstrate practical ways that anyone can save energy at home,” said Stoughton Utilities Director Robert Kardasz. . . .
The Schellers’ home also incorporates innovative and sustainable features, including LED lights with diming technology, two geothermal heat pumps to provide space conditioning and domestic hot water, and an onsite solar photovoltaic system.
