New York builder Anthony Aebi found his net-zero inspiration after building his own house. Using traditional stick-built techniques, he realized he was done building “like the second little pig.” The next home he built would use insulated concrete forms (ICFs) and would be the first zero energy-rated home in the Northeast.

There’s a potentially huge market for net zero homes, but you have to know how to sell them. It’s easier than ever to build a home that uses so little energy that, when outfitted with solar panels, it puts more electricity back into the grid over the course of a year than it uses. Although such homes cost more than code minimum construction, industry pros are learning how to help buyers see the return on that cost. Many claim they can make price objections virtually disappear. This approach is called net zero home building. As the next step beyond ENERGY STAR, it represents the cutting edge of energy-efficient, high-performance construction. Now, thanks to more sophisticated building products, better developed building science, and tax incentives for solar, it seems poised to go mainstream. Net zero has been the topic of countless magazine articles in recent years and has even spawned a…