Control System for a New Age Net-Zero Home

How do you move a sustainable lifestyle to the next level? One couple in Vernon, BC, did just that—creating a retirement home that would require even less maintenance than their current home and occupy an even smaller carbon footprint. They subdivided their house lot, moved their current house over, and built a new house next door. They wanted their new 2,600 square-foot home to be extremely comfortable, functional, and energy efficient, while also providing performance feedback through its control system.

House construction took 16 months. Its eco-friendly amenities include a 35-panel, 10.85 kW solar array, which provided 103 percent of the home’s total energy needs in 2020, making it a net-zero residence. A 34,000 BTU Maritime Geothermal air-to-water heat pump supplies hot water to 10 zones of in-floor radiant heat. In the winter, a heat recovery ventilator warms incoming fresh air by transferring heat from the outgoing air, and this fresh air system also provides air conditioning in the summer. The couple needed a flexible solution that could control all the new systems in their home, and tekmar could provide just that. The tekmar controls used can operate and handle a large and complex system—one that would typically need to be integrated with a full home automation system. tekmar Thermostats 553 and 557 control the radiant floor heating temperature and air-cooling temperatures. A tekmarNet®2 House Control 406 operates the air-to-water heat pump and regulates the supply water temperature based upon outdoor reset. Providing power to the thermostats and hydronic zone valves is a tN2 Wiring Center 313, and a tekmarNet® Gateway 486 provides Internet connectivity through a mobile app and website. Additionally, 35 tekmar sensors are used to measure and monitor building performance. These sensors, which are connected to a data acquisition system, are scattered throughout the home in the floor, in the walls, outside, etc., providing real-time feedback.

Since the home was completed in mid-2019, the couple has hosted more than 250 tours, including individuals, colleges, local organizations, and others. According to one of the homeowners, “Lots of hard work and sweat [equity] have built a wonderful home,” and an energy study found it to be one of the most energy efficient residences in the nation. “It’s warm where it needs to be, cool where it should be, and very quiet. . . . Our costs to live here are very modest. We love it.”