Photovoltaic panels and are one of the design cornerstones of zero-energy homes, which produce as much electricity over the course of a year as they consume.

Installing enough PV to accomplish this costs tens of thousands of dollars, but as the price of photovoltaic modules continues to fall and efficiencies go up, net-zero performance will be available to many more U.S. homeowners.

In addition to incentives and rebates
, net metering laws can help ease the cost of producing your own power.

These laws require utility companies to buy electricity generated on-site from customers at the full retail rate. Typically the electricity meter runs backward when power is flowing into the grid (such as sunny or windy days), which offsets the amount of electricity you have to buy at other times (at night or when the wind isn’t blowing).

—_This GREEN BUILDING TIP is from our Strategy Generator. Build a tip sheet
for your green building or remodeling project under the Strategies & Details tab._

Green Points

LEED for Homes Up to 10 points may be earned under EA1 (Energy & Atmosphere) or EA10 for renewable energy systems.

NGBS/ICC-700 Energy Efficiency: points awarded based on renewable energy production — 1 pt. per 200 watts (704.3.3.2).

Learn more in the Green Building Encyclopedia:

PHOTOVOLTAIC (SOLAR) ELECTRICIY

WIND-GENERATED ELECTRICITY

From the Green Primer

Are features like solar panels absolutely necessary?

From the Blogs

Resisting the Allure of Small Wind Turbines