A new development by Shea Homes at Scripps Highlands in San Diego, California,offers zero energy homes (ZEHs)—highly energy-efficient homes with solar water heating and,in some, solar electricity as a standard feature—the first such offering in the United States. Earlyin 2004, mail questionnaires went to 271 homebuyers in the 306-home Scripps Highlandcommunity (ZEH and highly energy-efficient homes) and 98 homebuyers in an adjacent 103-home community (conventional homes) who had lived in their homes for at least 6 months. Twodifferent builders offered these homes. Respondents in the conventional homes comprise thecomparison sample.The questionnaires address perceptions and preferences relative to the recent new homepurchases, and the role, if any, that energy efficiency and solar features might have played inthese purchases. Also investigated are willingness to pay for energy features; preferences onwhether energy features should be standard or optional; preferences on energy policies;perceived problems; aesthetics; homebuyer satisfaction and the reasons for it; environmentalism;and experience with the utility company.Respondents were asked to sign a release form for their utility company to provide datato the researchers on electricity and natural gas consumption. Utility data will be used to analyzewhether statistically significant differences in energy consumption and energy costs might beattributed to the energy features of the new ZEH homes by comparing them with similarconventional homes, while controlling for climate, square footage, and number of occupants.This paper covers the preliminary findings from the survey and the analysis comparingresponses from the ZEH and comparison sample homebuyers.
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