Pre-Constructed Homes to Produce Zero Energy Bills-

San Francisco-based company, Zeta Communities, is working on pre fabricated home construction that creates as much energy as they use, which will work to offer zero energy bills for the consumer. The company is near completion on its first ‘zero energy’ townhome in Oakland, CA and is currently working with a green home builder on a proposed 30 unit studio apartment building in Berkeley. The home’s energy efficient attributes consist of solar panels to generate energy, thick windows and insulation, energy-efficient appliances and a temperature and ventilation monitoring system which also tracks electricity use. Heat trapped inside the home is employed through a complicated system to heat incoming air for cold months and hot water is recycled through a harvesting system to provide warm sink and shower water. “What allows us to build housing at a competitive cost with zero energy bills is that we’re doing it in a factory where we have very efficient design and production and cut down on waste,” stated Zeta’s CEO, Naomi Porat. The average home takes up about 22 percent of annual energy use in the United States, which prompted the U.S. Department of Energy and California Public Utilities Commission to implement a plan which will require new homes being constructed to be zero-energy by the year 2020. However, there are still environmental issues associated with pre-fabricated homes; as sections of the home are usually shipped separately to the property for assembly, usually by truck. “Having to ship housing works pretty well if you don’t have to go far, but shipping can take too long and cost too much and negate some of the (environmental benefits of the) building’s design,” said Ren Anderson, head of the residential research group at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Standing for Zero Energy Technology and Architecture, Zeta has received millions of dollars in venture capital funding and is in the works to create more potential new green homes in Northern California. A Zeta pre-fab two bed townhome with shipping, installation, mechanical systems and appliances are sold to developers for about $258,000 per unit; placing the company as a stiff competitor in the green market.