University Project: Sustainable Home Development with Net Zero Energy

This report presents a comprehensive analysis of developing a sustainable home with net-zero energy, comparing a baseline "Your House (YH)" with a redesigned "Redesigned Home (RH)" in Melbourne, Australia. The study focuses on minimizing carbon emissions and energy consumption in the RH through strategic selection of low-carbon construction materials and innovative construction processes. The report utilizes EnergyPlus software for detailed energy modeling and HOMER Pro for optimizing on-site renewable energy systems to achieve net-zero energy status. It includes an assessment of embodied carbon, operational emissions, and the lifecycle costs and benefits of the RH compared to the YH. The report also addresses the feasibility and challenges of implementing the RH design, offering potential solutions to overcome these hurdles, thereby contributing to the broader goal of sustainable building practices and environmental stewardship. The report analyzes the annual and total carbon emissions over the service life of YH and RH, designs on-site renewable energy supply to achieve ‘net-zero-emission’ over the service life of RH, estimates the cost and benefit of RH in comparison with YH and discusses the feasibility and challenges of implementing RH, and the Ways to overcome the challenges.