What is the Payback Period for a Zero-energy Home?

We have just completed a study of home costs, resale values, and energy savings, comparing a code-built home to a near Zero-Energy Home. Our study shows that in just one year, the near Zero-Energy home will provide a return on investment of almost 1% of the original purchase price, over and above financing costs. All of the additional Energy Saving and Generating features would be completely paid for in less than 14 years, even though they have a productive life span of at least twenty-five years!

Over the life of a thirty-year mortgage, the owner of a near Zero-Energy Home would pocket an extra $86,000 on a home that he would have purchased for $300,000 as a code-built home, but elected to spend about $40,000 more (including 3KW P.V. panels) on the specific energy features our home plans include! This is over and above the re-couping of the original $40,000 investment!

Our study concludes that a Zero-Energy Home will pay for itself from day one! We are nearly finished building a spreadsheet that will allow you to calculate the costs and savings of using each of our plan sets to create your own True Zero-Energy Home, vs a home of similar size and design built to code. Watch our zero-energyplans.com website for this free download! The new federal tax credits for solar power and ground source heat pumps make it even more attractive to go true zero-energy!