Triple Zero Houses: Produce More Energy than Used

R128 house, an example for a triple zero building

R128 house- An example of a building fulfilling Triple Zero® standards

This has got to be one of the most ground-breaking ideas that we have discussed here at green technology since our inception. Let’s call it the Triple Zero house concept. Read on to find out more…

Triple Zero?

This is a concept developed by a German architectural firm, Werner Sobek.

‘Triple Zero’ reflects what is most astonishing about this technology/development: Zero energy consumed (energy-sufficient), zero emissions produced and zero waste generated (recyclable material used entirely). This concept is now being applied to buildings and houses and it has turned out be revolutionary!

Tell me more…

The first house implementing this concept was built in Stuttgart, Germany in 2000 and since then five more houses have been built in Germany, with a seventh planned in France. The energy used by these buildings comes from solar cells and geothermal heating.

These Triple Zero houses…

Are lightweight and they have all-glass walls.

(Image courtesy: Werner Sobek)

To achieve the lightweight quality, Sobek’s architects and engineers minimize the use of steel and concrete, both of which are energy-intensive to manufacture. The materials to build these houses are put together simply using stainless steel bolts that can be unscrewed using wrenches, and not glue, and therefore these buildings can be disassembled easily for recycling. This however does not compromise safety.

What’s better?

Than zero-energy houses? Houses that produce more energy than they use! That’s Sobek’s most recent implementation of this technology that raises the bar for energy-efficiency even higher! These houses are said to be able to function as small power plants that could even feed electricity into the public grid!

Why bother?

The building industry is responsible for 35% of the world’s energy consumption and carbon emissions, and 50% of the waste produced in North America and Europe. So going green with our homes and buildings seems like the next logical step in reducing the carbon footprint of mankind.

(Below) More images of R128 house, a Triple Zero home constructed by Werner Sobek