The building envelope. Building science 101 ; Learning from the passive house movement ; The diversity of framing practices ; Attic and roofing systems ; Insulation choices and strategies ; Testing the building ; Putting it all together ; Case study : high heat ; Case study : a butterfly home in the city ; Case study : outside-in retrofit -- Passive solar design. Passive solar in the 1970s ; The design process ; Choosing glazing ; Thermal mass ; Solar shading ; Principles of passive solar design ; Case study : PassivHaus retrofit ; Case study : bringing 1887 into the 21st century ; Case study : target zero house in Taos -- Renewable energy. From sunlight alone, clean electricity ; Harnessing the power of the wind ; Making hot water with the sun ; Sizing a renewable energy system ; Look at all the renewable energy options ; Case study : the good life in Vermont ; Case study : the Next West house ; Case study : high-end lakeside retrofit -- Heating, cooling, and ventilation. Options for heat ; Heat pumps provide both heating and cooling ; Electric-resistance heat can work in a net zero house ; Wood and other forms of biomass ; Getting heat around the house ; Keeping the house cool ; Ventilation for a healthy house ; Heating water ; Case study : a solar jewel in Boulder ; Case study : reinventing the high rise ; Case study : all-electric house : $1.16 a day -- Living a zero energy life. It's not just low energy bills ; Gaining a new appreciation for energy ; Mechanical systems are more complicated ; Fighting the perceptions of high cost; Marketing the zero energy house ; A house that's also a classroom ; Case study : affordable housing meets zero energy -- Appendix 1. Energy modeling software -- Appendix 2. Air changes per hour : 50 pascals of pressure.