Published on October 22, 2007

Zero Energy Homes Guidelines for 2020

California energy regulators adopted a ruling requiring that all homes built after 2020 to be energy neutral to cut down the demand for energy and reduce pollution due to energy generation. To achieve this objective the builders would use solar panels, geothermal heat exchangers and old good insulation.

"Saving energy will be a lifestyle," Commissioner Dian Grueneich said at the ruling meeting. "It keeps the lights on, it saves money and it significantly decreases greenhouse-gas emissions."

Electricity consumption by 107 million U.S. households in 2001 totaled 1,140 billion kWh. The most significant end uses were central air-conditioning and refrigerators, each of which accounted for about 14 percent of the U.S. total (US Department of Energy statistics).

There are one million new homes build in US each year.