pstarr wrote:How are you net-zero? Does your home generate enough PV in November-to-March to run the Volt? Or do you mean you fuel you Volt off-property? So do I. Few of us own personal gas stations.
(I use my solar at home for 6K miles or about 1,700 KWH per year to drive those miles and at work I use a courtesy charger for another 6K miles, the remaining 3,300 KWH runs the home for the year. Produce about 5MW total.)
Net-zero is where you produce 100% of your homes power needs over a year annualized, no importing of other non-renewable fuels, oil, nat gas etc... renewable credits get fed into the grid and used back in winter.
Carbon neutral is a higher, less known, level. That is where you produce 120% of your homes annualized needs, no importing of non-renewable fuels etc... That 20% surplus energy production, in theory, is supposed to offset the embodied energy that went into the construction of the home, I think after a certain number of years. Obviously it varies. I was at this level when powering down to make room for the plug-in Volt. Once the Volt was plugged in, I went back to Net-zero.
Off Grid level is a lot different. You can be off grid but burn nat gas or other fuels during seasonal needs etc... I'd love to build home off grid designed so not even wood is ever burned, never mind any generators.
MrEnergyCzar