Despite a rough winter, the net-zero energy test house built by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in a Maryland suburb produced 441 more kilowatts of energy than it used. The house was built to LEED Platinum standards and is estimated to be 70 percent more energy efficient than the average D.C.-area home. Built with double the normal amount of insulation, an air barrier to minimize temperature exchange with the outside, and 32 solar panels, the home is estimated to have saved $4,373 over the past year. The house cost an estimated $132,700 more to build than a similar home of standard construction.
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