Zero Energy Design® coined the term "Thermal Buffer Zone" in the materials about our first ZED home in 1979. It is the extremely efficient concept that two small temperature differentials result in lower undesirable heat transfer than one large exterior envelope temperature differential. Since 1979, "TBZ" has appeared in popular architecture literature many times, but most Architects(R) still do not understand how to use it cost effectively in a zero energy building. This narrated video shows a beautiful, open, efficient, abundant-daylight floor plan, and how our refined Double Shell Thermal Buffer Zone transfers solar gain from the sunny side of the home, to the cold side of a Zero Energy Design building with NO electricity. We also describe summer Energy Recovery Ventilation solar cooling, and how we hide all solar panels and satelite dishes from view on all sides. By Larry Hartweg Zero Energy Design® "Abundant Energy Man" ZEDmaster@ZeroEnergyDesign.com
Thank you – Please see our website and ZED CD-ROM for 5,000+ pages of all details – Our extensive materials answer most of the questions we’ve been asked over 30 years – Far more than any other single source in this world.
Excellent. Order your CD. You completed my senior thesis on earth sheltered design and passive solar from 25 years ago.
Huge Thank you, you’ve given me my home.
No war, no death, no pollutants, healthy living. Thank you very much.
Take a look around Minnesota – Flat roofs are everywhere, especially commercial buildings, however, your comment is correct – This house was designed for Florida – ALL zero energy buildings are VERY location specific, with extensive local computer thermal modeling required – A Florida design would not work well in Minn., but an off-the-grid zero energy design for Minn. is a reasonable goal.
I’m assuming that this home was designed for a warm climate. The flat roof wouldn’t work in Minnesota, for example.
See our many other YouTube zeroenergydesign videos, our websites, and Wikipedia entries.
We also have our 800-page Zero Energy design eBook and 1200 U.S. Department Of Energy Workshop (Three Decades Of Lessons Learned)slides available on a $25 CD-ROM, with hundreds of megabytes of energy saving and alternative energy bonus materials. It contains concepts we’ve used from Canada to Florida to Australia — (We can’t cover 30 years of ZED experience in a 10-minute YouTube video clip — Smile)
I adding this info right now to my Passive Home floorplan! i want more!
Great concept, I’d love to build one. Might be helpful if you gave some specific examples of how it works in different locations though.