In Part One of this two-part series we show the real financial returns for zero energy homeowners. — “A penny saved is a penny earned,” according to Benjamin Franklin. Let’s start thinking about energy improvements as investments that bring a financial return. Here are four ways to evaluate the financial performance of zero energy homes. They all demonstrate that zero energy homeowners benefit financially, making zero a wise investment.

The move away from fossil fuels requires that buildings and vehicles be powered by electricity from renewable sources, such as wind, solar, etc. All-electric homes in cold climates present a challenge for comfort and cost, but those barriers have fallen to recent developments in design and technology - making all-electric homes desirable even in cold climates.

Swimming pools are great fun, but they have high running costs and a high carbon footprint. David Green cut both. Now his pool running cost is zero and so is its carbon footprint.

No matter where you live, there is financial assistance to help you improve the energy efficiency of your home and save money. These states are leading the pack, but even if you live elsewhere, you can still find technical and financial help.

For most people, developing a vacation rental would be about profit. For these two Washington state couples, it was about much more. Oh, and the profit is there too.

Every buyer wants an energy-efficient home, but there are so many factors to consider that many buyers become overwhelmed. Did you know that the energy performance of any home can be expressed in one simple-to-understand number? Here it is.

To stay competitive, a production builder must find a good balance between cost, price, and profit. Here’s the story of one builder who has successfully added high-performance, clean energy features to their standard offering. More importantly this builder has developed an elegant solution to the challenge of solar-powered homes producing energy when it is not needed by the grid.

A new study shows that the cost of zero energy homes is very close to that of homes built to code. Best of all, costs are dropping and the trend is expected to continue.

Location is one of the first decisions made about a new home purchase, and it is one of the most consequential. While it may not occur to you that location affects energy efficiency… it does!

This analysis, using standard business investment metrics, shows that a complete zero energy home retrofit can return 15% a year with zero risk. Beat that Wall Street!

People often make choices with negative impacts to their health, wealth, and overall well being without realizing it. These are called risk behaviors, and there is a large body of research about techniques to help people make healthier, more positive decisions. Here are ways these techniques can be used to influence people to buy zero energy homes.

A report by the Shelton Group shows a gap between how Americans value the environment and their lack of willingness to take action to protect the environment. The good news is that Americans do prefer to purchase environmentally conscious products. Zero energy builders, designers, and realtors can use the insights from this report to more effectively market zero energy homes.