We’re talking about Net Zero Energy Homes, one of which is currently under construction in Dakota Ridge Village in Boulder Colorado.  Nestled in between your traditional new builds, stands a more modern, uniquely designed living space, called The NZE House.  This progressive piece of real estate will lead the way in the green building trend here in Boulder Colorado.  With buildings consuming 40% of the total energy in the US, why not strive to achieve buildings that create zero net energy?  Meaning that they have net energy consumption of zero in a typical year, therefore reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, and conserving energy.  I believe that soon, all homes will become net zero energy and we just might save the world after all!

The design process is where it all begins to find the most cost-effective energy reduction in a building.  Michael Kracauer of Architropic, a green point certified and LEED accredited architect, Boulder Colorado, designed the NZE home located at 4828 6th Street to achieve minimal energy use. 

Designers building a zero net energy home,  use the most high-tech 3D computer simulation tools to take into account a wide range of design variables. 

Some factors include:

• Building orientation relative to the daily and seasonal position of the sun.
• Window and door type and placement.         
• Local Climate.        
• Overhang depth.                                          
• Heating, cooling, lighting efficiency.
•  Insulation type.
• Air tightness – weatherization.

According to www.Boulderspace.org, heat and power will be generated by a 7.2 KW photovoltaic array for electrical needs, and a  140 tube array of solar thermal evacuated tubes for space heating and domestic hot water which are the panels on the high “pop-up” roof.  Michael adds that the easy part is PV, electrical energy.  The hard part is designing (and building properly!) a house that has very reduced heating loads and designing an efficient and reliable renewable energy system, like solar thermal, to take care of the reduced heating loads.  The house also will have an efficient electric back-up system for heating in case there is an extended cloudy cold snap.  But the PV system is over-sized enough to take care of these additional electric loads, and there should be on top of that enough PV energy for at least one and maybe 2 plug-in hybrids!

And don’t think that you’ll lose out on appeal and beauty.  You can have it all -  being environmentally responsible, living in a healthy home, AND a beautiful home.  The NZE House in Dakota Ridge Village has a deeply unique, contemporary design that incorporates functionality into its’ appeal.  Like the generous amounts of glass for instance, which bring in light and the views. 

What if you already own a home?  How about a net zero energy remodel! Some important characteristics to consider according to Toolbase Services:

• Increase the foundation, wall, and ceiling insulation
• Replace windows with low U-value, low-E windows in all climates and low solar heat gain windows in cool climates.
• Seal all holes, cracks, and penetrations through the floor, walls, and ceiling.
• Install adequate ventilation especially in kitchens and bathrooms.
• Replace appliances and light fixtures with energy efficient ones.
• Have a properly sized photovoltaic system installed by a certified solar pv company.

Would you like to see The NZE House in Dakota Ridge Village and more homes like it?  Check them all out at the CRC Boulder Tour of Solar and Green Homes on Sunday October 5th.  See you there!

Personnally, I haven’t seen it used by very many agents in Boulder Colorado, but I’m sure it’s out there and will progress quickly.  I read more and more about it each day. 

Photosynth or photo tourism is a collection of high resolution images displayed dramatically in 3D! Hundreds of pictures can be uploaded, virtually walking you through a home.  Will this benefit sellers when listing their real estate?  Could this be the advantage an agent needs when interviewing for a listing appointment?  Or will it keep buyers from viewing properties since they can see everything without even entering the house?  Is it affordable and easy?   

 THE PROS

1) Photosynth takes vast amounts of overlapping photos and reconstructs them into a pseudo 3D world. More images = better tour.  An agent could take 400 photos in a house and instead of virtual tours, users can walk themselves through the house.

2) Rises above Google’s Street View.  This technology will only become more and more advanced.  Add scences from video, travel through time three-dimensionally,  taking virtual tours to a whole new level.

3) Makes it easier for out of state buyers.  Makes it easier for sellers to advertise to out of state buyers.  Microsoft says that photosynth puts viewers in the center of the real estate and in control of how they experience it.

4) Allows technologically motivated agents to bring better virtual tours to homebuyers, putting them “a step above the rest”.

THE CONS

1) I have seen comments such as, “It doesn’t support most operating systems.”,  “System has glitches.”  As for myself, I was unable to install the program.

2) If not professionally done, time consuming for listing agents.   Must be able to follow software system and take hundreds of photos.

3) Will it really get buyers to your listing or will it be easier for them to eliminate properties prematurely?  I don’t think it will be better than the real thing.

To conclude, photosynth is the new technology from Microsoft Live Labs that may change real estate forever. Photosynth enables participants to walk or fly through a scene to see photos from any angle. Seamlessly zoom in or out of a photo.  Whether it’s megapixels or gigapixels in size, see where pictures were taken in relation to one another. Find similar photos to the one you’re currently viewing and take your real estate experience to a whole new level.  Let me know what you think.  Can’t live without it or think it’s a passing trend?