A net-zero home is a home that generates as much power as it uses. Is your home net-zero? If not, consider making upgrades that will limit power consumption and save you money in the long run. Insulation, heating and cooling systems and water conservation are all projects you should consider.

Building responsibly is something that I’ve talked about for years. It’s a big passion of mine to build homes that protect us and keep our families safe, but will also positively impact our environment. By that I mean, using products that withstand the elements so they don’t wind up in the landfill, have the ability to harness natural energy sources (like solar or wind power), and expel less energy to provide heat, power, and water.

To me, the true mark of a great home isn’t in its finishes (the open concept kitchen, the walk-in closets), but whether it’s a net-zero home — one that generates as much power as it uses. To do this, you’ll definitely need to incorporate solar (or other forms of renewable energy), into your plans — if solar isn’t in the cards just yet, here are a few upgrades to consider in the meantime to reduce your overall energy consumption.

Putting a stamp on your building envelope

Start from the outside of your home, and work your way in. If your building envelope is weak, you’re going to spend so much more time and energy providing power to a home than when it’s properly sealed. A home that’s properly insulated, with minimal air leakage around doors and windows will use every bit of energy it expends to run the house efficiently.

When the building envelope is sealed tightly, what are the systems you can adopt around your home to keep your energy and resource usage low?

Efficient heating and cooling

While some years may see harsher winters than others, here in Canada, on average, heating our homes contributes to 63 per cent of our yearly energy consumption. Using non-traditional heat sources can go a long way to bringing this number way down.

Geothermal heating and cooling, offers a much more energy efficient way to keep the house comfortable. With geothermal heating, you’re pulling energy from the underground where the temperature stays more consistent. This energy is dispersed through your home creating an even, efficient heat. Geothermal heating isn’t created through combustion, it simply takes advantage of the earth’s energy and moves that heat into your home.

In-floor heating gives you the option to heat room by room, providing an even heat that rises up through your floor. Electric in-floor heating makes a great complement to stone, tile, or laminate flooring. Wires are woven over your subfloor, your preferred flooring is placed on top (with an uncoupling membrane to prevent cracked tiles), and provide an even heat from the bottom up.

If you are not ready to spend on in-floor heating, a well-designed, rightsized HVAC can achieve a very similar thermal comfort standard at a lower cost. It is very important to ensure the equipment is sized correctly to avoid thermal comfort issues and condensation problems.

Don’t ignore your water sources either. On-demand hot water systems can replace your traditional water heater system providing you with instant hot water, without the need for a holding tank that stores preheated water. These systems can save you a lot of space and heating costs. These systems can provide you with unlimited hot water and you could save up to 50 per cent on your heating costs. They’re a smart investment.

Water conservation and grey water recycling

Think of all the water we use daily. Water that we use to wash, cook, clean, and flush — it adds up. Switch out your old toilets for low-flow models to reduce the amount of water we flush down the toilet (on average, 30 per cent or more of a family’s water usage comes from flushing), and swap your faucets and shower heads for more efficient fixtures.

If you’re smart, you’ll also collect rainwater in barrels or cisterns. This will give you a renewable source of water to irrigate your lawn and garden instead of using water that’s been treated for our consumption. As of 2015, only 15 per cent of Canadians were reported to collect run-off water in barrels and cisterns. This is something we should all be doing — builders and homeowners, to build and maintain homes that keep sustainability and energy efficiency at the top of mind.

Maintain natural landscaping

For homeowners with a green thumb, a big, sprawling garden can provide a nice hobby to take pride in. I’m not discouraging anyone from having a garden if you really love it. But for a net-zero home, get smart with your landscaping. Keep your yard natural, preserve your mature trees, and introduce native plants to your area that will require less watering. You can still maintain a great-looking yard, but you can build one that doesn’t require a lot of extra resources.

Written by Mike Holmes