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Watch Twelve Essential Steps to Net Zero Energy

Twelve Essential Steps to Net Zero Energy Video


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Zero Energy Plans

Zero-Energy Plans, LLC is the leading provider of proven Energy Efficient home designs to mainstream builders and do-it-yourselfers worldwide. Each of the High Performance Home Designs available through this site will use less than half the energy of a home built to the 2006 IECC, and have roof plans allowing sufficient south facing space for at least 3 KW of photovoltaic solar panels. Most importantly, they are affordable, with styling just like any other home. Every home built to these plans is qualified under the IRS Tax Code Section 1332, Credit for Construction of New Energy Efficient Homes of the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

All of our plans - more than 40 as of September 2013 - were conceived with a specific orientation to the sun in mind.  While some of these plans could be turned a different way and still work, the ability to generate Energy from the Sun would be compromised.  We have therefore identified on each plan the North-South orientation of that plan.  We also offer variations of most of the plans that are optimized for other orientations.  If you don't see the orientation you would like on our site, we probably just haven't developed it yet, but will upon request.

One of the requirements of a Zero-Energy Plan is that it be kept relatively small.  Most Americans are asking for more home than they really need, forgetting how much they really enjoy the outdoors.  When you consider the relatively low cost of developing useful outdoor living spaces, as opposed to expensive and wasteful indoor spaces, these homes can provide exceptional value to your customers.  Our room sizes are relatively large, but we don't waste as much space in seldom used rooms, entryways, or hallways.  Many of these plans are reminiscent of the homes of a hundred years ago, except that our plans let in more natural light, and the rooms are larger and more open.

Prinicpal Ted L. Clifton has been a designer and builder for more than 45 years.