Net-Zero Homes Made Easy: Custom Design-Build Packages with Solar & Battery Integration
Build a comfortable, resilient, all-electric home that produces as much energy as it uses, without guesswork. Our integrated design-build approach unites architecture, engineering, permitting, construction, solar, and batteries into one streamlined package, delivering predictable performance, transparent budgets, and a smoother, faster path to verified net-zero outcomes.
Learn More
About Our Net-Zero Studio
We are a multidisciplinary team of architects, engineers, and builders specializing in all-electric, net-zero homes that integrate solar and batteries from day one. By unifying design and construction, we reduce risk, compress timelines, and deliver comfortable, resilient homes that perform as promised and delight for decades.
Your Path to Net-Zero: Our Design-Build Process
From first conversation to move-in day, we coordinate every step to align your budget, aesthetics, schedule, and energy goals. Transparent milestones, integrated engineering, and early contractor involvement reduce risk, prevent change orders, and ensure your home meets real-world net-zero targets with measurable, verifiable results.
Energy Modeling & Envelope Optimization
We quantify performance before building, using whole-building simulations to balance insulation, windows, airtightness, mechanicals, and renewables. Data-driven decisions right-size systems, avoid overbuilding, and lock in comfort, durability, and savings, while ensuring realistic energy budgets that match climate, occupancy, and future electrification plans.
Roof & Ground Array Optimization
We evaluate tilt, azimuth, module spacing, shading, and structural capacity to maximize output without compromising aesthetics. Options include integrated roof solutions, premium modules, and discreet ground mounts. We balance winter sun, summer heat, snow loads, and maintenance access to deliver reliable energy across seasons and decades.
Electrical One-Line & Interconnection
Our engineers produce code-compliant one-lines, conductor sizing, protection devices, and labeling. We coordinate main service upgrades, rapid shutdown, and inverter selection. Interconnection packages meet utility requirements the first time, minimizing reviews and change requests so your system is energized quickly and safely with clear operational documentation.
AHJ & Utility Permitting
We manage permitting with local authorities and your utility, addressing structural, fire setbacks, and equipment certifications. Our submittals anticipate common review comments to avoid resubmittals, ensuring timely approvals and construction sequencing that keeps both the building shell and solar installation moving without costly schedule conflicts.
Battery Storage, Backup & Load Shifting
We design storage systems that keep your essentials running during outages, reduce peak charges, and enable time-of-use savings. Right-sized batteries, smart controls, and safe installations integrate seamlessly with solar, delivering resilience and value without complexity or unnecessary capacity that inflates costs.
Storage Right-Sizing & Chemistries
We analyze your critical loads, outage risk, and tariff structure to choose capacity, discharge rates, and battery chemistry. Lithium iron phosphate offers safety and longevity, while modular architectures allow future expansion. Our recommendation balances resilience, savings, and budget, ensuring meaningful backup without overspending on unused storage.
Critical Loads & Backup Panels
We identify circuits that matter most—refrigeration, lighting, network, heating, medical devices—and group them in a dedicated backup panel. This targeted strategy ensures predictable runtime during outages, maximizes battery value, and simplifies operations, all while preserving code compliance and simplifying future maintenance or upgrades.
High-Performance HVAC & Ventilation
All-electric comfort systems pair efficient heat pumps with balanced ventilation for healthy, quiet living. Our designs prioritize zoned control, low noise, and verified airflow, delivering even temperatures, dry basements, and fresh air without fossil fuels or oversized equipment that wastes energy and money.
Heat Pumps & Distribution Design
We select right-sized heat pumps, ducts, or hydronic distribution to match modeled loads with minimal cycling. Emphasis on low ambient performance, refrigerant management, and insulation ensures comfort in extreme weather. Precise commissioning verifiably delivers the efficiency and quiet operation your energy model promised.
Balanced Ventilation with ERV/HRV
Energy recovery ventilation provides filtered, fresh air while conserving heating and cooling. We design ductwork for low static pressure, specify quiet, efficient units, and confirm flows in the field. The result is healthier indoor air, reduced humidity swings, and efficient operation aligned with airtight construction and comfort goals.
Commissioning & Verification
We test and document system performance at startup, verifying refrigerant charge, airflow, static pressure, controls, and setpoints. Our commissioning checklist and training ensure you understand operation and maintenance, while captured data establishes a baseline to confirm seasonal efficiency and meet program or warranty requirements.
Low-Carbon Materials & Healthy Interiors
We specify materials that reduce embodied carbon, protect indoor air quality, and resist moisture. Thoughtful assemblies, VOC screening, and durability measures deliver long-term performance, easier maintenance, and a healthier home, supporting net-zero targets while lowering lifecycle costs and environmental footprint.
Embodied Carbon Accounting
We compare Environmental Product Declarations for key materials, favoring low-carbon concrete mixes, engineered wood, and recycled content where appropriate. Our approach balances availability, cost, and structural performance, providing clear tradeoffs and documented reductions that complement operational savings from your solar, batteries, and high-performance envelope.
Air & Moisture Management
Continuous control layers, smart membranes, and ventilated claddings manage vapor and rain safely. We detail drying paths and flashing to prevent mold, rot, and premature failures. This resilience safeguards health and investment, reduces repairs, and supports the airtightness and insulation levels needed for net-zero targets.
Non-Toxic Finishes & Certifications
We prioritize zero- or low-VOC paints, adhesives, and flooring, and can align with WELL or LEED health criteria when desired. Product vetting and submittal reviews keep selections consistent with your wellness goals, while installation guidelines maintain air quality during construction and move-in.
Smart Home, Monitoring & Controls
Real-time insights help you understand production, consumption, and savings. We integrate a home energy management system with solar, batteries, HVAC, and EV charging, providing actionable dashboards, alerts, and automations that protect comfort, reduce bills, and simplify daily living without complicated interfaces.
Contact usHome Energy Management System
Your HEMS orchestrates loads, prioritizes critical circuits, and coordinates storage with solar forecasts. We calibrate rules to your comfort, tariffs, and resilience goals. Transparent, app-based controls give you visibility and override options, while secure cloud backups preserve settings and performance history across updates.
Data Dashboards & Alerts
Customized dashboards show generation, consumption, state of charge, and savings. Threshold-based alerts notify you about unusual loads, weather risks, or maintenance needs. We configure meaningful metrics, avoiding noise while ensuring you can verify performance claims and adapt behaviors for better comfort, resilience, and return on investment.
Interoperability & Cybersecurity
We favor open standards and vetted platforms to reduce vendor lock-in while maintaining strong security. Network segmentation, firmware policies, and credential management protect devices and data. Our documentation explains safe remote access, update practices, and backup procedures, supporting long-term reliability and privacy.
Financing, Incentives & Return on Investment
We align your budget with federal, state, and utility incentives to lower upfront costs and speed payback. Our models quantify cash flow, tax credits, and long-term savings, clarifying tradeoffs between upgrades, solar sizing, storage capacity, and future energy price risks.
Rebates, Tax Credits & SRECs
We identify and apply eligible incentives, including federal tax credits, local rebates, and potential performance payments such as SRECs. Our documentation ensures compliance and timely filings, maximizing benefits while aligning project timelines with rebate windows and interconnection milestones to protect your payback assumptions.
Green Mortgages & Lending
We coordinate with lenders offering green mortgage products, construction loans, and energy improvement add-ons. Clear scopes, third-party ratings, and performance documentation strengthen underwriting, helping you secure favorable terms while preserving vital design elements that drive real savings and comfort over the life of the home.
Payback, NPV & Resale Value
Our pro formas quantify operational savings, avoided maintenance, and resilience value. We model scenarios for utility rates, export tariffs, and future electrification. Beyond payback, we evaluate net present value and potential resale premiums, ensuring decisions reflect total cost of ownership and long-term financial health.
Construction Management & Quality Assurance
We coordinate trades, sequencing, and inspections to protect your schedule and performance goals. Checklists, photo documentation, and on-site testing verify details that matter, preventing rework while ensuring the final build matches the design intent and energy model assumptions.
Schedule, Trades & Prefab Logistics
We develop a realistic schedule that integrates prefabrication lead times, weather risk, and inspections. Clear scopes reduce overlaps and gaps between trades. Early procurement and mockups minimize surprises, while just-in-time deliveries keep the site organized, safe, and ready for critical airtightness and insulation milestones.
On-Site Testing & Photo Documentation
We verify assemblies with blower door tests, duct leakage tests, IR scans, and moisture readings. Photo logs capture hidden conditions before they are covered, supporting warranties and future service. This rigorous approach ensures that performance is not assumed, but demonstrated and recorded for your records.
Change Orders & Budget Control
We prevent scope creep with clear specifications and early decisions. When changes are necessary, structured pricing and impact reviews maintain transparency. Regular cost reports and contingency tracking keep you informed, protecting priorities while sustaining the performance targets that deliver true net-zero results.
Concept-to-Permit Net-Zero Design Package
A comprehensive design service covering architecture, energy modeling, envelope detailing, HVAC concepts, solar layouts, and stamped permit drawings. Ideal for clients who will bid or self-manage construction, this package sets airtightness targets, specifies critical assemblies, and provides realistic solar and battery sizing for dependable net-zero performance.
,900
Turnkey Solar + Battery Integration for New Builds
We engineer, procure, and install a right-sized solar array with lithium iron phosphate storage, backup panel, and smart controls. Includes utility interconnection, AHJ permitting, commissioning, and monitoring setup. Optimized for time-of-use savings, resilience, and seamless integration with all-electric HVAC and future EV charging needs.
,900
Full Net-Zero Design-Build Home (per sq ft)
Complete delivery of a high-performance, all-electric home, including architecture, engineering, permits, construction, solar, batteries, commissioning, and monitoring. Fixed specifications with value-managed selections and verified performance testing ensure comfort, durability, and predictable energy results tailored to climate, site, and budget priorities.
,900
Resilience, Off-Grid & EV Integration
We design for storms, outages, and changing mobility needs. Islanding capability, EV charging strategies, and essential services planning ensure your home remains livable and productive during disruptions, while everyday operations remain efficient, comfortable, and simple to manage.
- Island Mode & Blackout Scenarios We define outage priorities and runtimes, sizing batteries and solar accordingly. Safe, automatic islanding preserves critical circuits and avoids generator noise or fuel logistics. Clear operating procedures, labeling, and testing ensure your home responds predictably when the grid goes down, day or night.
- EV Charging & Bidirectional Power We plan circuits, load management, and charger placement for current and future EVs. Where available, vehicle-to-home capabilities can extend backup and reduce peak costs. Integration with your HEMS coordinates charging with solar production, tariffs, and comfort goals for maximum convenience and value.
- Water, Heat & Communications Resilience We address domestic hot water, critical heating, and networking resiliency alongside power. Efficient heat pump water heaters, thermal storage options, and router backup keep essentials running. We plan for safe ventilation and connectivity, maintaining health and comfort through extended utility disruptions.
Net-Zero Retrofits & Additions
Already own a home? We craft phased pathways to net zero. Strategic envelope upgrades, electrical modernization, solar, and storage integration transform performance with minimal disruption, preserving character while delivering measurable comfort, savings, and resilience improvements.
Deep Energy Retrofit Roadmaps
We audit your home, model measures, and prioritize packages by cost, impact, and timing. Phasing plans align with roof replacements or siding projects to avoid rework. The result is a realistic journey to net zero with stepwise comfort and bill improvements you can track.
Solar + Storage for Existing Homes
We evaluate roof condition, electrical capacity, and shading to integrate solar and batteries smoothly. Upgrades to main panels, grounding, and safety devices ensure reliability. We coordinate permits and incentives, delivering a clean installation that prepares your home for future electrification and outage protection.
Phased Upgrades Without Disruption
We schedule work around occupancy and seasons, using targeted air sealing, mini-split additions, and smart controls to improve comfort immediately. Documentation keeps the future pathway clear, so each step compounds benefits without undoing previous work or locking out better options later.
Warranty, Monitoring & Lifetime Support
Your home’s performance is protected with clear warranties, real-time monitoring, and responsive support. We stand behind design targets, provide actionable insights, and remain available to tune systems as your household changes, ensuring lasting comfort, savings, and satisfaction.
Performance Guarantees & SLAs
We define performance expectations up front, including energy use intensity, airtightness, and solar production estimates. Service-level agreements clarify response times and responsibilities, giving you confidence that issues are addressed promptly and that your home continues meeting its net-zero goals.
Proactive Maintenance & Remote Support
We monitor key metrics and notify you before small issues become problems. Remote diagnostics resolve many concerns quickly, while scheduled maintenance keeps equipment efficient and quiet. Our approach minimizes downtime and preserves warranties, protecting your investment and daily comfort.
Owner Training & Handover
We provide a clear, accessible owner’s manual, walk-through training, and labeled panels. You receive app tutorials and seasonal checklists, plus contacts for support. This empowers you to operate systems confidently and verify that performance stays aligned with design intent.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a net-zero home actually mean?
A net-zero home produces as much renewable energy annually as it consumes, typically through efficiency, airtight construction, heat pumps, and a right-sized solar array. Batteries enhance resilience and savings but are not required to achieve net-zero balance; they instead manage when and how energy is used.
Can my home achieve net zero in a cold climate or on a shaded site?
Yes, but the strategy changes. In colder climates, we emphasize envelope performance, airtightness, and heat pump selection, possibly adding a larger array or off-site clean energy procurement. On shaded sites, ground-mounts, carport arrays, or community solar can bridge gaps while maintaining comfort and cost-effectiveness.
How long does the design-build process take from start to finish?
Timelines vary by jurisdiction and scope. A typical new build ranges from eight to fourteen months, with design and permitting taking two to four months and construction six to ten. Early decisions, integrated engineering, and prompt approvals help maintain schedule while protecting performance targets and budget.
What incentives and tax credits are available for solar and batteries?
In many regions, federal tax credits and utility rebates reduce upfront costs for solar and storage, while performance programs may offer renewable energy credits. We identify eligible programs, prepare documentation, and align milestones with application windows to maximize benefits and protect your financial assumptions.
How reliable are batteries, and how long do they last?
Modern lithium iron phosphate batteries are highly reliable with strong safety profiles and warranties often spanning ten years or more. Lifespan depends on usage patterns, temperature, and depth of discharge. Our right-sizing and smart controls optimize cycling to extend service life while delivering meaningful backup and savings.
What ongoing maintenance and monitoring do you provide after move-in?
We include performance monitoring, commissioning reports, and a clear maintenance schedule. Remote diagnostics address many issues quickly, while periodic inspections keep systems efficient and safe. You receive training, documentation, and support contacts, ensuring your home remains comfortable, resilient, and aligned with net-zero targets over time.