Simply put, a Positive Energy Home is one that generates more net clean energy than it uses. This is normally accomplished by building the home to be highly energy efficient and using a combination of clean green energy generation systems such as photovoltaic solar panels, a wind turbine, or a small-scale hydroelectric generator. These homes may also use some level of passive solar heating and passive cooling.
Any home with a HERS score that is a negative number, -1 or lower, is a Positive Energy Home.
BPC Builds Positive Energy Homes
To date, BPC has built six Positive Energy Homes. The BPC home that generates the most surplus energy has a HERS score of -17. That means the home generates 17% more clean energy than it uses. It also means this green and clean surplus energy can be used by another home instead of that same energy being generated by a coal or gas-fired power plant.
Benefits of a Positive Energy Home
For a homeowner to benefit from owning a Positive Energy Home, they need to be connected to the power grid. This is because the home must feed its excess clean energy back into the grid for the homeowner to get one or more of the following benefits:
- All the benefits of a Net Zero Energy Home
- Having more energy generation capacity than you currently need helps ensure your home will always runs on clean energy should your needs increase in the future
- Potential net metering* credits
- Help mitigate climate change by helping other homeowners and businesses use the clean energy your Positive Energy Home generates, instead of the dirty energy the power company may generate using gas, oil, or coal-fired power plants
- Help limit the need for building additional power generation facilities. This benefit is especially helpful if the energy company’s new power plants would use fossil fuel or require the homeowner’s tax dollars to help subsidize its construction
- There aren’t many Positive Energy Homes built, so owning one gives you bragging rights and sets an example for others to follow
Important information about net metering
Most Positive Energy Homes today are connected to the local power grid with a bi-directional or “net” meter. This device measures both the energy you take from the grid as well as the excess clean energy your home sends to the power grid.
The use of a net meter allows a power company to use net meter billing, where the power company provides the homeowner credit for the power they put into the grid and uses those credits to offset energy costs for any grid electricity the home uses. Net metering practices vary by location, utility, and over time. (Some utilities don’t offer net metering.) As a homeowner, you should look into the details of your power company’s current net metering policies and billing practices. You should also understand that these practices may change over time.
Is a Positive Energy Home Right for You?
The financial benefits of building a Positive Energy Home vary because of net metering practices and the use of batteries to store energy. Lowering your energy costs up to the net amount of energy your home uses makes sense. However, even generous net meter billing practices—ones that may offset the cost of all the energy you pull from the grid—rarely provide a good income or ROI for a Positive Energy Home.
That said, a very good reason for building a Positive Energy Home is it helps ensure you will meet all your home’s energy needs with clean green energy for years to come. Another good reason is to partially or fully offset the power needed to charge an electric car or two, which is what many of our clients are doing. Likewise, the environmental benefit of your home generating clean energy instead of a coal or gas-fired plant providing it is an excellent reason for building a Positive Energy Home.
BPC Green Builders is happy to sit down with you and discuss the many different types of green homes we build and choose a green certification standard that means your goals and needs.
