UC Berkeley

The building sector accounts for approximately 40% of the global primary energy consumption, with residential buildings making up more than half. How to effectively reduce energy consumption and the associated Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions in residential buildings has become an essential issue for each country to achieve its carbon neutrality goal. This study analyzes the energy performance of the Honda Smart Home (HSH), a two-story, single-family zero-net-energy (ZNE) building situated in northern California. With a comprehensive dataset of 237 channels of one-minute resolution spanning six years, the case study evaluates the ZNE performance at different temporal scales and assesses its energy flexibility and self-sufficiency. Results show a decreasing trend in energy consumption and demonstrate the potential for achieving self-sufficiency and grid-independency. These findings offer insights into the design and operation of future ZNE homes and contribute to the development of the field.