Net-zero and beyond! Design and performance of NIST's net-zero energy residential test facility

Abstract

A Net-Zero Energy Residential Test Facility has been constructed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology to demonstrate that a home similar in size, aesthetics, and amenities to those in the surrounding communities can achieve net-zero while meeting the needs of a four member family. The home incorporates a vast array of renewable energy and energy efficient technologies, a subset of which was used during the first year of operation, including an air-to-air heat pump system, a solar photovoltaic system, a solar thermal hot water system, and a heat recovery ventilation system (HRV). The solar photovoltaic system generated 13,523kWh of energy, exceeding the home's annual energy consumption by 484kWh during the 12-month test interval. The solar thermal hot water system provided 54% of the energy required to meet the hot water load. Use of the heat recovery ventilator, used to provide ventilation air to the home, resulted in 1965kWh of energy consumption, 514kWh to power the HRV and 1451 of energy used by the heat pump system to meet the additional sensible and thermal loads. This paper describes the facility and presents performance data for the first year of operation.