April 30, 2013
ASES’ NORTHEAST SUSTAINABLE ENERGY ASSOCIATION (NESEA) chapter won a $125,000 grant from the Boston-based Barr Foundation in January to catalyze the market for zero-net-energy homes — homes that generate more energy than they use.
Based on conversations with industry leaders, NESEA identified three primary barriers to widespread adoption of these buildings: lack of access to examples of successful projects, lack of widespread technical knowledge with respect to how to complete these projects, and perceptions that zero-net-energy construction is not cost effective.
To overcome these barriers, NESEA will create a database of zero-net-energy homes in the Northeast, produce and distribute a white paper detailing best practices, and provide an online course in how to model and undertake a residential zero-net-energy project. “Thanks to this support from the Barr Foundation, this new effort allows us to tackle each of these three barriers head on,” said Jennifer Marrapese, executive director of NESEA.
Learn more about NESEA: nesea.org