Green Idea House Net-Zero Energy Remodel

completed

Robert Fortunato remodeled his family's 1959 house in Hermosa Beach into a 2,150-square-foot environmentally friendly home that produces more energy than it consumes. The remodel involved standard construction materials and off-the-shelf technologies, including 26 solar panels generating all electricity for the house and two electric cars. The house features a flat roof with a five-foot overhang for shading and cooling, an open stairway acting as a thermal chimney, and efficient LED lighting. The project aimed to reduce fossil fuel use by disconnecting from the local gas company and replacing gas appliances with electric ones.