PHOTO CREDIT: COBBLESTONE HOMES
A showcase home in Michigan uses solar and geothermal energy and energy-efficiency features to save thousands in annual electricity bills.

Published May 21, 2010

Offering a blueprint for energy-efficient homes of the future, Dow Chemical Co. and Michigan builder Cobblestone Homes have introduced what they are calling Michigan's first "net-zero energy home" – a home that uses less energy than a conventional one and provides the balance of its energy needs with renewable technologies.

Using features such as advanced insulation, geothermal heating and cooling, solar panels and shingles, energy-efficient lighting and triple-pane, insulated windows, the three-bedroom, 1,752-square-foot ranch home is expected to save $3,507 in annual energy costs, according to a press release issued Friday by Dow.

Although the official ribbon-cutting was Friday, the home has been featured on tours for the past two weeks and "generated a lot of interest," said Melissa Wahl, co-founder of Cobblestone Homes. "Over 2,000 people have toured the home," Ms. Wahl said. "It really has raised people's consciousness."

Dozens of homebuilders across the nation have begun to include renewable energy among their offerings. In Fontana, Calif., builder CenterStone Communities has experienced success with new homes that come with solar roof tiles, recycled materials, water-conserving plumbing and drought-tolerant landscaping. North of San Diego, another housing development called Del Sur, which when finished will include about 3,000 homes, offers solar-electric systems and other environmentally friendly elements. And in Lancaster, Calif., builder KB Home and China's BYD Co., which makes plug-in cars, batteries and solar equipment, have partnered to build modestly priced homes that will including battery storage of the electricity generated by solar panels.

Michigan's showcase home, which is located in Bay City, will serve as an educational center for builders and consumers for one year. Tours, training and hands-on demonstrations of the technologies used will be offered.

The house features solar shingles that are produced by Dow Chemical and are designed to integrate with traditional asphalt shingles. In addition, the home's hot-water heating system also uses solar. Heat pumps buried in the ground use the constant temperature there for heat during the winter and cooling during the summer

The home also offers conventional features, such as a media entertainment center and custom-built cabinets.

"The Vision Zero home utilizes a variety of energy solutions from Dow and is proof that homeowners can affordably enjoy all the comforts of the modern home, with a reduced environmental impact and still achieve a net-zero utility bill," said Doug May, Dow vice president.