Wall Street Journal – Jim Carlton writes that the green building movment is aming for a zero net energy use goal, and I agree that he’s right. Play the zero sum game by clicking the links in the article.
But a bigger shift toward net-zero construction faces hurdles, largely because such buildings often are more expensive to build. To reach zero energy use, for instance, a building needs to produce its own power such as through solar or wind. Rooftop solar panels can cost upward of $10,000 on a three-bedroom home alone.
Some industry analysts say the costs of erecting net-zero homes have declined somewhat as green building has become more mainstream. With energy costs more than doubling across the U.S. in the past decade, energy-savings measures have become more attractive to builders.
Wall Street Journal (12.24.2009) link; Carlton, Jim