'Net Zero energy' introduced in GR

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - In Grand Rapids' Wealthy Heights neighborhood, Habitat for Humanity is entering into what it calls its most extensive partnership projects to date.

The idea is to build some homes and rehab others -- to make them not only affordable, but to reduce their energy footprint to near-zero. Which means tenants of these homes wouldn't have to pay utility bills.

"Net Zero energy isn't completely living off the grid," said Chris Hall, of Habitat for Humanity. "The idea is that sometimes, you're producing energy and can use it. Other times, like today, it's a little cloudy, you're not going to produce solar energy for example, so you'd be drawing off the grid.

"Tomorrow if it's sunny, you're producing electricity, but at the end of the month, it all evens out. There's a Net Zero usage of energy."

But the green concepts don't end there.

"In the past, it was called demolition ... in a landfill somewhere," said Brian Schultz, who works in program development for Grand Rapids Community College -- one of the partners on the project.

GRCC is considering a new class in deconstruction.

"We are going to disassemble deconstruction techniques," Schultz said.

In nearly a dozen agencies, universities and nonprofit organizations will work on Wealthy Heights. The hope is that by using established green building techniques and developing new, energy-saving concepts, this project could serve as a model for others.