Gallery: A Zero-Emissions House That Charges Itself and Your Electric Car Too

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    Architecture firm Snøhetta partnered with the Research Center on Zero Emission Buildings to develop the ZEB Pilot House.
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    Not only is the ZEB Pilot House a zero emissions house, it’s a “plus house,” meaning it actually produces excess energy.
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    This is possible because of the solar panel roof, which is tilted at at 19-degree angle towards the southeast.
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    That angle allows the roof the capture enough energy to power the house (along with a geothermal heating unit).
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    It's also enough that an electric car could drive for 12,500 miles on the surplus energy from the ZEB.
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    The tilted roof can be modified and applied to other buildings in new orientations. A home in Australia, for instance, would need to tilt north.
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    The ZEB house is especially enabled by connected home gadgets that can run during the day, while the roof is actively harvesting electricity.
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    You can imagine a smart washing machine picking the sunniest time of day---while home owners might be at work---to start up a load of laundry.
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    Other organic, energy-saving touches can be found throughout, like beeswax-laminated aspen wood in the bedrooms. The wax reacts with natural moisture in the air, helping to keep the room temperature steady.
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