Content courtesy of the chba
Every part of a Net Zero Home works together in harmony to create the ultimate energy efficient living space. Every aspect of the home, including the building envelope, mechanical systems, and renewable energy systems, works together as a system to ensure peak performance. Through advanced “building science” techniques, technologies, and products, builders can significantly reduce a home’s energy consumption.
Most Canadian homes use roughly half of their energy consumption on space heating. Net Zero Homes, on the other hand, use only about a quarter of the energy of conventional homes on space heating. Net Zero Homes have a superior building envelope. The building envelope is considered the “shell” of the home because it separates the indoor environment from the outdoor environment. It includes the home’s overall air-tightness, the insulation of the exterior walls, floors, ceilings, and foundation, as well as high-performance windows and doors.
A Net Zero Home’s superior building envelope is extremely airtight and uses a significant amount of insulation to reduce heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer. This keeps heated or cooled air from leaking through cracks and holes to the outside, which in turn means that less energy is needed to heat and cool the home. Further, the improved building envelope of a Net Zero Home makes it more comfortable. It eliminates drafts, helps maintain even temperatures throughout the home, and blocks out exterior noise, such as traffic, barking dogs, and lawnmowers.
Learn more about Westeck’s high performance Vinyl Slider Windows
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