Dunster: he’s already there

Q: What is a zero carbon home? A: One which emits no carbon.
If you live off-grid then you are likely to be living a zero-carbon life. If you are trying to find a way to reduce your carbon, think about making yourself “off-grid ready,” i.e. having all you need to go off-grid if you had to.

Western governments plan to make all new homes zero carbon by 2016 which means they will be bringing tax breaks in and changing zoning/planning policy to encourage it .

Architect Bill Dunster recently showed off his own home in Hamton for Best Life magazine. Here are five steps you can take to reach the goal long before 2016.

HOT-WATER PANELS

What: a new water-heating technology that is hidden under a roof or solar panel

How it works: Ever leave a hose out in the sun? Well, this is exactly the same idea. The solar thermal system is a series of panels installed under the roof, which feature hidden tubes filled with nontoxic antifreeze. Once roasted by the sun, the liquid is pumped down to help heat your water tank.

Cost: Starts at $8,000

Savings: Up to 30 percent of the cost of heating water by traditional means

PV Photovoltaic Solar Panel 175 W Kyocera

2 SOLAR ROOF

What: Sunslates
by Atlantis Energy. Technically called building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), they�re solar panels integrated into traditional slate roofing tiles. atlantisenergy.org

How it works: Unlike those bulky, unattractive rooftop panels aimed at the sun, with BIPV, your roof itself becomes the solar-energy collector. Sunslates are engineered shingles (or slate-�concrete tiles) that blend into the roof�s appearance and work by converting the sun�s energy into an electric current connected to your wiring. Anytime excess energy is produced, it�s channeled to your utility company, which is legally obligated to give you a credit. Sunslates are ideal for complicated rooflines.

Cost: Installations average $39,000, but you�re also getting a new roof.

Savings: Up to 80 percent off your annual utility bill, plus state rebates and a $2,000 federal tax credit

3 WIND TURBINE

What: The Skystream 3.7 starts at 34 feet tall; most residential zoning permits require a height of at least 42 feet. skystreamenergy.com

How it works: Whereas a fan uses electricity to produce wind, a turbine uses wind to produce electricity. Its blades are connected to a shaft and gearbox, which is connected to a generator. When the blades spin, the shaft spins and the generator produces an AC current, which is fed directly into your home�s wiring to supplement or replace your normal utility supply. Any excess energy is diverted into a battery for your home�s energy needs or back into the grid, earning you utility credits. The Skystream requires wind speed of at least 10 miles an hour. (You can check your area�s breeze levels by consulting the wind maps at windpoweringamerica.gov.)

Cost: Starts at $10,000, but that�s before state incentives such as cash rebates and tax deductions. California, for example, offers cash rebates worth up to $2.30 per installed watt (or $4,140 for a 1.8 kW Skystream). Find out what your state offers by searching the American Wind Energy Association�s Web site (awea.org).

Savings: Up to 100 percent of your energy bill. It pays for itself in about five years.

4 WATER HARVESTER

What: The BRAE Complete Rainwater Solution, a below-ground polyethylene tank that varies in size depending on your household needs. braewater.com

How it works: The technology couldn�t be simpler. Rainwater is collected in your roof gutters and channeled into an underground tank. It is filtered and then delivered back to your house. The BRAE system flushes away the first few minutes of rain (the most polluted), has enough storage capacity to see you through a three-month draught, and pressurizes the water enough for power showers and car washing.

Cost: Starts at $850

Savings: Up to 60 percent off your water bill

5 GEOTHERMAL WELL

What: The WaterFurnace Geothermal Comfort System is a loop of pipe buried in your yard in a trench, either 400 feet horizontally or 300 feet vertically, depending on the size of your property. waterfurnace.com

How it works: The ground absorbs 47 percent of the sun�s energy, and just a few yards below your lawn, the earth maintains a constant temperature of 55�F. The heart of the system is a furnace-size unit that pumps a mixture of water and antifreeze through the loop of buried pipe. In winter, the earth heats the liquid to warm your house; in summer, flick a switch on your thermostat to reverse the process and generate cool air.

Cost: Prices vary by state. In New Jersey, for example, these units start at $13 per square foot of your home.

Savings: A four-person, 2,500-square-foot Colorado home formerly running on standard fuel oil and air-conditioning would save $2,100 a year by converting to geothermal. Use the savings calculator at waterfurnace.com to determine how much you would save.

The UK plan for these homes is that they will be required to produce �zero net emissions of carbon dioxide� from all energy use in the home. This will necessitate the use of: renewable energy and microgeneration (for example, solar panels, wind energy), insulation; zero carbon energy technology for heating/hot water; eco-labelled white goods; and provision for reduced use of motor vehicles (for example, cycle storage, space to set up a workspace at home). This will be measured using a grading system introduced in the code for sustainable homes.

In the Budget, it was proposed to introduce a stamp duty land tax (SDLT) relief to promote the market for zero carbon homes, raise public awareness of the benefits of zero carbon living and encourage use of microgeneration technologies.

The relief will provide exemption from tax liability for homes with a purchase price of less than �500,000 and will provide a �15,000 reduction in tax liability to all homes worth more than �500,000. The relief is only available at first point of sale and is subject to the developer obtaining a certificate, acknowledging the property has been developed to a zero carbon standard. This will be through the energy performance certificate system which is used to measure energy efficiency in accordance with the Building Regulations 2000 and the code for sustainable homes.

The relief will be claimed on the land transaction return form and is intended to have no administrative impact on public sector and developers.

The SDLT relief scheme will be re-evaluated before it ends in 2012 to determine whether it has achieved the objectives set out by the Treasury.

The government focus on initiatives through building and planning regulations to reduce the effects of providing new developments on climate change and improving environmental standards for new residential development is more specifically seen through:-

Planning policy statement PPS22 on renewable energy, which requires local authorities to implement policies to promote the use of renewable energy sources and allows them to set minimum percentages for on-site renewable energy generation in new developments;
The London Plan includes the mayor�s energy strategy which requires 10% of each new development�s energy to be generated from renewable sources. Following the consultation period, the mayor, in partnership with London Renewables, will produce supplementary planning guidance on renewable energy that will provide broad guidelines to define locations where stand-alone renewable energy schemes would be appropriate and set criteria for the assessment of such schemes.
Draft supplement to planning policy statement PPS1, consultation on which ended in March 2007, sets out how the government expects local and regional spatial strategies to identify areas capable of sustaining carbon neutral development, seek to reduce the need to travel (especially by car), maximise opportunities for renewable low carbon sources of energy supply and look favourably on proposals for renewable energy sources;
The code for sustainable homes has been published by DCLG and will form the basis of future Building Regulations setting out a single national standard to guide design and construction of residences by grading homes on levels of energy efficiency (1 to 6 stars � ie, zero carbon).

An increasing number of local planning authorities are either operating or about to operate a local plan policy requiring developments over a certain size to include on-site renewable energy equipment to reduce carbon dioxide levels (by approximately 10%). It is clear that these initiatives will have a major impact on new developments, and developers need to consider the best ways to address these requirements now.
Importantly, developers should be aware that the South West Regional Assembly is considering amending its draft regional spatial strategy to require major developments to be 44% more efficient than Building Regulations by 2008 and to achieve zero carbon by 2011. Developers will be well advised to participate in the formulation of regional and local plan policy, in particular, in identifying locations suitable for sustainable development and the standards required. Such input is essential as developers will bear the cost of achieving those targets through design and technologies in the initial land purchase price.

Tags: off-the-grid