ABSTRACT
The Zero Bills Home concept proposes linking technology and cost-based metrics to get the most out of zero-carbon housing design. The goal is to deliver zero-carbon homes that are commercially viable, but local situation is happily not one of total gloom. As the cost of building-integrated renewable electricity generation and storage systems comes down, it becomes sensible and practical to build homes that have no net annual energy costs. The funds normally swallowed by energy bills can be redirected to cover the slightly higher capital cost of building these net zero-energy homes. The first stage in optimising the design was to conduct a technical and cost analysis of the best available zero-carbon microgeneration technologies. The ‘balloon frame’ was the most common way of building a timber house in the US during the 19th century. The Zero Bills Home uses semi-balloon frame construction, with oversized timber.
