Review

In summary: a small house with most of its windows facing south, lots of solar panels, the best insulation you can afford, a house designed with overhangs to prevent summer sum and allow winter sun, and efficient appliances. To move beyond operational cost and consider total energy you need to also look at how much and what type of concrete is used for the foundation, the type of flooring, siding, and roofing material, and so on.

The author does his very best to make zero-energy (or at least very low energy) housing seem within reach of ordinary homeowners. We’ll see.

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