October 3, 2022

ZERO Living: Energy-negative living laboratory

Illustration of house with solar batteries and sun

When you hear the words “energy-negative living laboratory”, perhaps a quaint 8-star energy efficient Airbnb on the outskirts of Melbourne is not what you imagine. But that’s exactly what you’ll find.

The term ‘net zero’ often gets bandied about by the media when talking about macro carbon emission targets, global warming, and climate change. However, many people don’t know how close getting to ‘net zero’ is to home. Literally.

2022 has not been a good year for the average Aussie’s pocket. Fossil fuel supply constraints and extreme weather have pushed the cost of living to near record highs¹, with minimal relief in sight.

In fact, the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has just released its 10-year outlook for the national electricity market, and the forecast is less than sunny. Electricity supplies are projected to fall short of demand within three years across Australia's eastern grid².

So it’s not surprising that people are finding innovative ways to save money, ensure energy security, and contribute to a more stable tomorrow.

Chart showing expected unserved energy across Australia

 

What does net zero have to do with it?

ZERO Living’s founders, Ingrid and Thomas Graze, ask: “What if your home could not only be energy-neutral but could in fact generate twice as much energy as it consumes?”

Through collaboration with Enphase Energy® and Swinburne University, ZERO Living has engineered the world’s first inner urban zero energy homes.

Put simply, ZERO Living’s homes leverage solar power to produce their own electricity, have a home battery to store excess solar energy, utilise all-electric appliances with no gas, and are designed for maximum energy efficiency. The result is an affordable and modern home that makes more energy than it uses.

Data speaks louder than words.

To develop, test, and constantly improve its all-electric homes, ZERO Living teamed up with the Swinburne University of Technology in 2019 to conduct a study with three purpose built ZERO Homes where on-site solar energy production, storage and consumption were monitored in real-time and analysed.

The homes were rented out through Airbnb as ‘living laboratories’ to track their energy use, with separate circuits for all appliances including the fridge, oven, and heat pumps. Data collected from almost 600 short-term guests painted a clear picture of consumption habits, appliance, and system efficiency and most importantly, opportunities for energy savings.

The study demonstrated that achieving not only a carbon neutral but a carbon negative 200% energy efficient home is an attainable reality. Solar Home Drone

 

Technology is complicated, having the best is simple.

The formula for a ZERO Living home comes down to three fundamental aspects: design, monitoring, and technology.

ZERO Homes are fully-engineered micro-power stations equipped with Tri-Battery Technology (now that’s a mouthful). This technology underpins the rooftop solar system, seamlessly integrating high efficiency panels, Enphase microinverters, and solar batteries to ensure ZERO Homes produce and store 100% sustainable and renewable power.

While ensuring the homes are properly insulated, sealed, and fitted with energy efficient electric appliances is crucial, the performance of the solar rooftop system is the most fundamental component in maximising energy efficiency.

“We run our solar system using Enphase microinverters, and without them, we could not achieve a 200% energy rating,” said Thomas.

Each solar panel is fitted with its own microinverter to harness maximum energy from the sun throughout the day. As these microinverter-enabled panels operate independently, they do not compromise overall system efficiency if something goes wrong, and each module can be individually monitored.

“If we used old school string inverter technology on our houses, we would end up with a fraction of the energy that we currently produce,” continues Thomas.

ZERO Living’s collaboration with Enphase Energy allows them to deliver a system that provides longevity, scalability, advanced analytics, and reliability.

What the future holds.

Co-founder Ingrid Graze highlighted that many people associate living carbon-neutral and carbon-negative with sacrificing comfort. Rather, true sustainability is about integrating smart design, technology, and monitoring. This approach ensures homeowners have everything they need to light, heat, and cool their homes, without hurting the planet.

“Strategic partnerships have allowed us to investigate the boundaries of energy efficiency in an all-electric, fully engineered home. What we have found is not only can our homes produce twice as much energy as they consume, they can also be stylish, modern, comfortable, and promote real healthy living.”

As more ZERO Living homes are established, the data will be used to drive positive change and lower our carbon footprint. Therefore, every ZERO Living homeowner is actively contributing to improving the outlook of Australia’s energy future.


Reference

1https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/price-indexes-and-inflation/selected-living-cost-indexes-australia/latest-release
2https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-31/power-supplies-in-australias-biggest-grid-to-run-short-by-2025/101389018

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