Project ZeNETH: A Zero-Net Energy Tiny House

From Classroom to Construction 

Project ZeNETH (zero-net-energy tiny home) started with a class at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington, that focused on carbon-neutral home design. The instructor tasked students with not only drawing the floor plans of an energy-efficient home but with creating a full energy analysis of net-zero energy homes. Kellen Lynch, an undergraduate from the Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies and the Institute for Energy Studies at Western Washington University, asked himself, “What if we made this assignment real?”

Fueled in part by “frustrated inspiration,” Kellen launched Project ZeNETH because he wanted to apply his education to housing and energy. He chose a tiny home as the student project, as they spark genuine interest from others. Because of its small size, he felt a tiny home would be feasible as a student project.

After working on the first iteration with a peer in his class, Kellen connected with a new professor at WWU who had just finished a tiny home build at the university level. This professor had been part of the SMUD Tiny House Competition hosted by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District. The stars aligned, and Kellen pursued the project.

Now, two years from its inception, Project ZeNETH is officially in the building phase. At 250 square feet, it is the first tiny home ever to be constructed at WWU. The project has four goals.

One is to research how tiny houses can impact housing security. Another is to design a zero-net-energy tiny house that regards the life-cycle of building materials. The house will represent the environmental values of the Pacific Northwest, and educate the local community by putting theory into practice. Finally, the students want to make sure the project is scalable and provides others with the ability to repeat the design and build process.

Currently, Project ZeNETH is a few weeks into the build process. The students have framed the floor and installed electrical and plumbing. The team is now waiting on a handful of state permits before proceeding with the rest of the build. They anticipate finishing the build by the end of January 2020. 

One feature that sets this home apart from many others is the capability to be both on- and off-grid. The home has a 5-kilowatt solar array with Enphase smart micro-inverters, which allow for energy generation even when the grid is down. The team will install a Tesla Powerwall that will run the house, as long as the electrical stays on 120 V.

In addition, the team decided to use Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) for the walls. SIPs are a cost-effective and energy-efficient building material that has become increasingly popular in new construction. The German-engineered Innotech windows are high-performance and energy-efficient.

Kellen and the rest of the project team worked with the university to find the perfect on-campus location for the tiny home: a parcel of lawn slightly larger than the home located at the campus entrance. The house will include a kitchen and bathroom. However, because it’s currently on campus, the tiny home will only have electrical hookups. An on-site storage tank will supply water.

A Multiuse Tiny Home 

Still, the location will allow students, professors, and campus visitors to interact with and learn about tiny home design and construction. Since the Institute for Energy Studies at WWU owns the tiny home, the ZeNETH is a valuable teaching tool for students in all disciplines. While on campus, the ZeNETH could house social events, meetings, a student gallery space, a podcast recording studio, and a food pantry, Kellen says.