News 2b

without a doubt; that a standard ranch style home with 2x4 exterior walls and closed cell foam insulation; working in conjunction with a passive solar strategies and a reasonable renewable energy production system can achieve a high enough energy retention factor to be a cost-effectively deployed in the field to achieve a consistent zero energy stance and energy independence for the building from regional power sources. Although, this home is designed to operate in a grid-tie configuration using net metering, the home could be easily be adapted, with the introduction of a single industrial battery to operate in an off-grid configuration; completely independent from the regional power provider.

In addition to the homes already impressive strategies, UDC has also equipped the home with a 2.2 kilowatt solar

array; static mounted on a detached storage building behind the home. The storage building is orientated and configured to maximize solar collection from the 12 evergreen 200 watt panels in the winter season and will produce excess electrical energy in the summer season; electrical energy that will be sold back to the power grid through the use of net metering. The home will see a monetary return for the unused electrical energy in summer. Overall, the home has the ability to operate over a 365 day cycle at a 125% reduction of electrical usage.

The home is also designed with a gray water return system that collects both non-bio hazardous water from inside the house and rain water run-off from the standing seam roof system. The water is stored in a