Gordon Howell on Transforming Housing: Net Zero Energy - Can We Afford Anything Less?

Our perceptions of "affordability" and "economics" are most interesting -- what we choose to "afford" regardless of poor economics, and what we choose to decline regardless of good economics... What's up with net zero energy housing? How does it work? What are the costs? Can we afford it? Can we afford not to? What are we learning from the early net zero houses in Edmonton, where the costs have dropped by 35% in just one year. How will this affect policy development, municipal planning, worker training? What policies does net zero housing need to make it mainstream? Who will lead this transformation? Who will block it?

Gordon Howell is an electrical engineer and President of Howell-Mayhew Engineering in Edmonton with responsibility for the company's solar electric power design and development business. His passion is empowering people to prepare for the energy and environmental issues of our time and to understand how solar electric systems can provide them with their own electricity.

He was on the team that developed Edmonton's first three net zero energy houses, and is now consulting with four house builders on the development of net zero energy homes in Edmonton. His work is helping to make net zero energy housing the least-cost housing option.

Gordon lives in an energy efficient house that uses 60% less natural gas than an average house, and has had a solar electric system on his roof since 1995. It provides 100% of his annual electricity use, which means that he has a net zero electricity home -- likely the 1st one in Canada.