Zonda - Resource Library

With energy prices skyrocketing and homeowners being more sustainably conscious, it is important to design for optimal efficiency. These trends will help you make easy additions with big impact.

There is a misconception that zero net energy (ZNE) means all-electric, but in fact, propane has the ability to provide a clean, efficient, and affordable energy solution for both builders and their customers. This course will discuss how ZNE fits into the country’s energy landscape and how mixed-fuel homes featuring propane can be leveraged to meet ZNE homeowners’ energy and lifestyle demands.

The course will explore design strategies architects can use to achieve zero net energy homes and case studies where propane’s versatility and low-carbon output were harnessed to achieve resiliency, sustainability, and performance in ZNE builds.

Gas appliances like ranges, fireplaces, and furnaces are important amenities that many home buyers want in a new home. However, in some residential developments, natural gas access may not be feasible and on-site propane storage may also have challenges. Community propane systems offer an innovative method for supplying propane to every home in a community through a centralized delivery system. Community propane systems allow developers to offer gas access to builders, who in turn can sell gas amenities to buyers. In the end, both benefit and homeowners reap the rewards of gas appliances and other desired technologies in their home.

This course discusses how community propane systems work; use cases for these systems; value propositions for developers, builders, and owners; and common propane applications for residences and community buildings.

From optimizing the sun through solar tempering to making the right heating and cooling system decisions, this paper details the energy efficiency solutions homeowners are looking for.

When planning and designing homes, architects should know that more than 12.6 million U.S. households rely on propane for their primary energy needs. Propane has many advantages such as offering heat for water, outdoor spaces, and inside the home. In addition, propane provides clean fuel for comforting fireplaces, cooking food, and drying clothing.

Propane can be stored above ground or in underground propane tanks, an option many builders are choosing in order to fuel homes off the natural gas mains. This course will cover important considerations when planning for propane use in residential construction.

Zero net energy (ZNE) construction represents a vast opportunity for builders and contractors. So what is a zero net energy home? In the simplest terms, a ZNE home produces as much energy as it uses, most commonly using efficient construction methods. Achieving ZNE performance involves a whole-building design approach to consider all of a home's systems — the building envelope, mechanical systems, and lighting and appliances — in an integrated way.

This e-book collects our most valuable resources on ZNE projects to help you define what ZNE means for you and examine factors such as energy prices, net metering policies, solar resources, incentives, and budget. You’ll see that getting to zero doesn’t mean giving up desirable and high-performance gas systems.

Home tech is a wild card. Countless gadgets hit the market every year but don't last. Beyond the basics, the best technologies are those that solve real problems. Two of today’s big challenges are how to accommodate home-based work and how to keep the home's occupants healthy.

Since arriving in our homes, smart technology has put welcome conveniences at our fingertips. With a growing demand for energy in homes, it is increasingly clear that living spaces need to be not only smart but also sustainable.

Sustainability is a growing concern for home buyers - and builders can take advantage of this by designing new homes that make sustainable living accessible for their customers.

Hear Sekisui House, Ltd., Marketing General Manager Norio Adachi on what bringing Chōwa to the United States market means to Sekisui House, its leaders, its partners, and its worldwide team of associates.

Select and install high-performance windows, preferably windows that are ENERGY STAR rated or that meet or exceed the ENERGY STAR program requirements for windows, doors, and skylights. If you are seeking certification under the ENERGY STAR Certified Homes program or the U.S. Department of Energy's Zero Energy Ready Home program, read this for more specific guidance.