Progress Report - Net Zero Homes
When Kevin Casey proposed the idea of constructing homes which emit no carbon dioxide to a Design for Sustainable Communities course at University of California Berkeley, an impressive team of engineering and urban planning graduate students signed on to test the idea. After testing the business plan for financing and building second units, the team found that there were both regulatory and technological changes that made this a viable and meaningful business. After the class Casey had a well tested and research business plan, but no clients, no capital to push the idea forward. That's where CGI U came in.
Kevin and one of the team members from the course, Anu Sridharan, applied for and received a CGI U Outstanding Commitment Award to continue their work. The two immediately sought partners who could help realize their commitment entitled the Berkeley Green Home Project. With the CGI U name behind their effort, the two returned to Berkeley and received additional financial support and guidance from the Lawrence Berkeley National Labs. The lab helped guide their commitment in two ways: first the lab helped Anu and Kevin gauge interest in net-zero dwellings and just as important, helped them to design the actual unit. The team decided to design compact, individual-person dwelling units as add-ons to existing homes.
Soon, the idea became a new company called New Avenue (www.newavenuehomes.com), the company raised $100,000 from First Light Ventures, and obtained government support from the Berkeley City Planning Commission. First Light Ventures further helped connect the company with several outlets, including Deutsche Bank, the Casey Foundation, and the Cathcart Foundation. Because of this financial support, the Berkeley Green Home Project will be able to cover building costs for homeowners who can't pay; rental income from the extra unit will then be used to cover any interest owed on the funds.
The commitment has been a tremendous success though there were many setbacks and discouraging moments. Building a house within the guidelines of city zoning codes proved nearly impossible. However, after spending countless hours in the Berkeley Zoning Commission Office, talking to numerous individuals, and poring over documents, the team finally coordinated their housing model in conjunction with existing building codes.
Despite the difficulties, two homes have been constructed and, only two years later, what started as a CGI U commitment has now developed into an established social enterprise. The mission of this business is to construct net-zero home dwellings in housing developments as a solution to urban sprawl. The homes are typically single, compact dwelling units constructed to maximize square footage and energy efficiency.
New Avenue is truly a CGI U success story. The once novice graduate students are now on the cutting-edge of sustainable development, working to re-imagine societal perception of housing needs.
