Zero Energy Project

After about two weeks of brainstorming, we have come up with a project for the summer.

Project:
We are going help design Donna Shalala's guest house to be a Zero Energy Building.

Background:
Donna Shalala as well as many other UM teachers are going to be moving into a new neighborhood in Coral Gables called Four Fillies Farm. Her house is going to be too large to do anything major with sustainable design, but the designers expressed interest in designing the guest house to be Zero Energy. The guest house will consist of a garage for her driver? and an apartment on the second floor.

The Plan:
We are going to focus on 2 topics:
Rainwater Harvesting and a
Integrated Energy System

We are going to be exploring permeable pavement, roof rainwater harvesting, pvs, solar water heaters, and reflective roof technologies.

Food for thought!
Starting 2016 all new homes in the UK will have to be zero-emission for heating, hot water, cooling, ventilation and lighting.

California is planing on doing the same for 2020.

DC