Japanese Builder and Partners Experimenting with Design of a Net-Zero CO2 Emissions House

PanaHome Co., a major house builder in Japan, announced in March 2010 the launch of a joint industry/university research project to develop a "Net-Zero CO2 Emission House," in cooperation with the University of Tokyo, Nikken Sekkei Ltd., Kei Kaihoh Architects, and the Panasonic Group.

PanaHome will build a trial house on the premises of its head plant in the city of Higashiomi in Shiga Prefecture, and conduct experiments from July 2010 for three years, with the aim of future commercialization.

Built with a light steel-frame structure, the prototype will have two stories and a total floor area of 135 square meters. The direct gain system for collecting and storing solar heat, as well as heat pump technology, will be introduced. The use of other renewable energy systems will be studied, as well. To achieve net-zero carbon dioxide emissions throughout the entire house, various equipment and methods will be combined in systems to generate, store, save, and interlink (or display flows of) energy.

Posted: 2010/07/03 06:00:15 AM