Zero Energy Homes Sets First Modular Build December 17
MOUNT DESERT–Zero Energy Homes (ZEH) is a new homebuilder working to make solar-powered homes more affordable for year-round Maine residents, and the company plans to set its first modularly constructed home in Trenton on the morning of December 17. The set day offers the highly visual process of assembling the high-performance home in a beautiful location using a crane, and interview opportunities with members of the ZEH team, its partners, and the homeowner.
“When people see our homes, they really appreciate the quality and the concept,” said Steve Eaton, Zero Energy Homes’ VP of Manufacturing. “The design, the use of Maine materials, the idea of living in an all-electric home with low or no heat and electricity bills. Now is the time to make energy-efficient homes attainable to more Mainers.”
Zero Energy Homes (ZEH) is on a mission to bring down the cost of net zero energy homes, which produce enough energy to power the home, by using state-of-the-art modular manufacturing and 80% Maine building materials. Maine needs to build more than 80,000 new homes by 2030, and ZEH believes using modular construction and local building materials are the keys to making all-electric homes more accessible for year-round residents who earn between 80% to 160% of area median income, or between $50,000-$115,000 a year depending on area.
Zero Energy Homes’ vision is to ramp up production to 50-60 solar-powered homes a year within four years. The modular build for Trenton provided a successful test case for ZEH’s strategy: Building indoors in a controlled environment decreased build time by nearly four months through in-facility efficiencies.
The Trenton home was built inside of a Wiscasset manufacturing facility through a single-project collaboration with Knickerbocker Group, a design-build firm that has operated in Maine for nearly five decades. Zero Energy Homes had previously used an off-site panelization process led by ZEH builder partner Ryan MacEachern of Make Construction.
“Building the type of homes that Mainers need requires collaboration among Maine builders,” said Steve Eaton, Zero Energy Homes’ VP of Manufacturing. “Knickerbocker has provided amazing support for this project, allowing us to fast-track modular production for this home. As an employee-owned company, Knickerbocker shares our commitment to caring for Maine communities, as we do our part to help address the shortage of workforce housing in Maine.”
Zero Energy Homes offers all-electric homes in a variety of models, including one-, two-, and three-bedroom homes, and it is planning to expand to duplexes and stacked, multi-family designs. Each home will feature solar panels to generate their own power, a tight thermal envelope, and efficient mechanical systems, including heat pumps, that reduce energy use. The homes will also come with high quality Maine building supplies such as wood-fiber insulation from TimberHP, triple-glazed windows by Mathews Brothers, Advantech flooring by Huber Engineered Woods, dimensional lumber from Hancock Lumber, and pine clapboards, flooring, and trim from Robbins Lumber. Supporting Maine businesses is central to Zero Energy Homes’ mission, and it sources dimensional lumber whenever possible from Maine and regional companies that utilize sustainable forestry practices. Learn more by visiting zeroenergyhomes.coop and filling out the express interest form.