Zero-Net Energy Building Science Research: Nebraska Housing Case Study

What makes a new home sustainable? There is no simple answer and no silver bullet to reducing energy consumption, choosing the right building material or perfectly designed floor plan. Every case is different and every home-owner has their own perspective. To answer the question I was motivated to assemble this mini-portfolio of homes to begin identifying current best practices. This booklet contains five newly constructed Nebraska homes. Each example identifies what high performance green building design elements, technologies and systems builders, architects and home-owners are using. The following five homes are not all Nebraska has to offer as examples, but are a sample in order to help the next generation of new homes seeking to be energy efficient and sustainably designed a place to begin. The format of each case study house begins with a short summary and partners involved in the project. The following pages identify and describe each homes features with a number and image. Not all the numbers will appear on the background image as the identified elements are not visible. Each case study can be printed and used individually or in tandem with others