Northern Virginia's First Net Positive Energy Home Earns Cold, Hard Cash on Electric Bill

Springfield, VA, October 03, 2014 --(PR.com)-- If you were impacted by high energy bills this winter, a new home in Springfield may have you thinking twice about how much your house is costing you. The new NOVA e+ Home in Springfield, Virginia -- the self-proclaimed first net positive energy residence in Northern Virginia -- has proven its value this winter, making money in even the worst possible climate.

The timing could not have been worse, with construction pushing the date of the home's solar panel interconnection to the power grid into winter—a particularly nasty winter weather-wise, at that. Yet, amid snowstorms and recording-breaking low temperatures, the home still managed to generate a net positive income in its first three full months after going online.

The home is participating in Dominion Virginia Power's Solar Purchase Program, which pays the homeowners for all of the green energy they produce. The home has so far generated 5.45 megawatt hours of clean electricity, which means that despite construction delays and freezing temperatures, the structure has actually earned over $800, surpassing the homeowner's expectations by 7%.

Superinsulation, passive solar design principles and dual geothermal heating and cooling systems, and energy star appliances and lighting have kept the home’s electricity usage incredibly low. If the winter is any indication, the summer net income predictions for the home, look brighter than ever.

What Is a Net Positive Energy Home?

Net zero is the current formidable energy threshold of green construction. The overall energy usage of a net zero building, over the course of a year, is roughly equal to the amount of renewable energy created on the site. Net positive energy construction, on the other hand, means that the NOVA e+ Home will generate several times more overall energy annually than it consumes.

The first key factor in the home’s ability to achieve this nearly impossible goal is extreme energy conservation, which the home boasts in great measure. The second key factor is extreme energy generation, which is achieved with a large solar panel array hidden on its rooftop. The architecture of the residence is fairly traditional, which is not typical of an extremely green home, which tend to have very modern look to them.

Which Certifications Will the NOVA e+ Home Try to Obtain?

Since net positive energy is such a new concept, no official certification exists yet. However, the residence will easily earn the latest U.S. EPA Energy Star certification, and is expected to obtain additional green building certifications that will validate its extreme green measures. More challenging is the USGBC LEED for Homes certification, but the NOVA e+ Home is on track to obtain LEED Platinum status. The final (and most difficult) level the homeowners hope to achieve is US Passive House certification, which only a little more than 100 homes in the US possess.

The NOVA e+ Home website showcases the innovative design and technologies that went into the construction of this unique residence and the designers and contractors that were involved. The website also contains a construction photo gallery that lets website visitors see exactly how the home was built from the ground up. Photos of the finished residence will not appear on the website to protect the privacy of the homeowners and their neighbors.

The owners of this Springfield, Virginia residence will reap the benefits of creating one of the most eco-friendly structures in existence. They’ll actually be paid for the over 12 megawatts of excess electricity generated by their home per year.