Get Smart with These 6 Energy-Efficient Homes

UC Davis has been leading the way in net-zero construction and energy research for years. Recognizing that homes and cars are responsible for just shy of half of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States, the project is a foray into how automobiles can factor into the efficiency equation. "UC Davis and the Davis community have launched some of the most innovative housing models in the country, from cooperative housing to solar villages to zero-net-energy at the neighborhood scale," says Bob Segar, UC Davis Assistant Vice Chancellor, Campus Planning and Community Resources. "The next entry is the Honda Smart Home—it's showing how the electric car can be managed as your house's biggest appliance." The house features a 9.5kW solar array, which produces direct current. The charger was adapted to accept power directly from the panels without any conversion loss.

While the slate-clad northern facade has few windows and a steeply pitched roof, the southern facade is dominated by glass with the solar-panel-clad roof strategically angled to catch the sun.

Auburn 7 developer and resident Michael Kyle hangs with his dog Moxy in the front yard of the unit owned by his codeveloper Todd Wexman; he is joined by residents Francisco, Camille, and young Sophia Apple Owens.

Fourth Ward Loj I love my 750-square-foot loft. After several years of tweaking, adjusting, and evolving, it's finally exactly the way I want it. With one exception‐the 1977-style thermostat, replete with gold-toned and ecru plastic rectangular housing. 70's glam, but not in the good way (especially odd as the loft was constructed in 2003). Pictured is the office nook, and oh my, wouldn't that sleek nest just complete this space?

Though this kitchen fits in with its period surroundings, a few tweaks keep it current. “It’s functional in a way that doesn’t feel like the kitchen is in the living room,” says architect Rick Black. He explains, “One of the goals was to make the islands more like furniture than like heavy objects that go all the way to the floor.”