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National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Net-Zero Energy Test House is Inhabited by a Virtual Family
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Researchers will use the house to test energy-efficiency technologies and alternative energy systems. NIST Director Patrick Gallagher believes that the facility will “allow development of new design standards and test methods for emerging energy-efficient technologies and, we hope, speed their adoption.”
Up to now, some net-zero homes have tended to skimp on size and amenities. But the NIST test facility is designed as a full-size 4,000-square-foot suburban home with four bedrooms and three baths. The building incorporates a highly-efficient building envelope, solar thermal water heating, photovoltaic (PV) solar systems, geothermal energy, smart metering, and specially-designed energy-efficient space conditioning and air distribution systems. The house is built to LEED Platinum standards.
+ NIST Net-Zero Energy Residential Test Facility
Via Reuters
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The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a government science lab that is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, recently unveiled its Net-Zero Energy Residential Test Facility. But like a real-life version of the Sims, the house is
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Researchers will use the house to test energy-efficiency technologies and alternative energy systems.
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NIST Director Patrick Gallagher believes that the facility will “allow development of new design standards and test methods for emerging energy-efficient technologies and, we hope, speed their adoption.”
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The exterior sheathing includes self-healing vapor barrier. Up to now, some net-zero homes have tended to skimp on size and amenities. But the NIST test facility is designed as a full-size 4,000-square-foot suburban home with four bedrooms and three
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Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels generate electricity
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Computerized monitoring systems requiring extensive electrical circuits
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Geothermal systems provide heat for the home.
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Electrical switching gear is installed outside in the back of the home.
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Solar hot water systems provide further energy efficiency.
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