design process study for the demonstration homes - Architectural ...

One of the lessons learned is that being innovative in building ZEH can result in extensive
exposure and media attention, translating into free advertisement. Equating a dollar
figure to the amount of press received by each ZEH project is difficult. As John Ralston
mentioned in the Premier Gardens project, it was “certainly in the hundreds of thousands,
maybe more” since he did “not know much about the cost of advertising on some of these
national media like CBS and Good Morning America.”
3.3.2. Lower electric bills and peak reduction
While not a surprise, the electric bills confirm that ZEHs use less energy. Based on the
electric bills from SMUD, the homes at Premier Gardens by Premier Homes use fewer
kWh (or less energy) than typical Title 24 homes, and have even lower electricity bills
when combining energy efficiency and PVs.
More important, these homes also help reduce peak demand for summer afternoon loads
because the afternoon PV generation overlaps with the utility’s peak load period. This
directly benefits the utility by reducing peak demand and indirectly benefits the
ratepayer, who ultimately pays for new utility infrastructure.
It is important to note that lifestyles and behaviors of homeowners affect the energy bill of
a home and that some ZEHs may use more energy than typical Title 24 homes. For
example, the ZEH owner may decide to add a swimming pool, spa, or multiple
appliances to the home. In the Morrison Homes Lakeside project, one of the ZEHs had
consistently low energy bills for a few months and then the bills suddenly tripled. This
was due to the addition of a spa, more televisions, and a swimming pool. Overall,
however, when evaluating comparable lifestyles and behaviors, a ZEH will use less
energy than a typical Title 24 home. ZEH owners are very pleased that they will be saving
money due to the lower energy bills and have some insurance against energy price
volatility.
3.3.3. Financial implications to the builder
Upgrading from Title 24 compliant standards to ZEH standards add a significant net
incremental cost--approximately $8,000 to $15,000 per house. This was a financial
challenge to the builders, who had no idea if they could recover the ZEH cost. Although
building ZEHs may have been a financial burden at the start of all ZEH projects, the
builders successfully recovered their costs at the end and gained a great reputation. In
fact, a builder like Clarum Homes will continue to build to nothing less than ZEH
standards, and as mentioned by John Ralston with Premier Homes, “it was worth it” to
build to ZEH standards.
3.3.4. PV Placement
Builders do not typically install PVs on the front side of the homes because the panels are
viewed as obtrusive and unattractive. However, orienting the PV arrays toward the east,
south, or west is crucial to maximize electricity generation. Depending on street and
house orientations, builders may need to install PVs on the front side of homes.
Installing BIPV systems on the front side of the house to maximize electricity generation
was something new to Premier Gardens. As stated by John Ralston of Premier Homes, the
builder “did not know if this would have a negative affect on the homeowners.” After the
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