Net Zero and Resilient Home Standouts

Here are four more homes from the 2026 Green Home of the Year worthy of a callout for sustainable design.

Braeswood Bayou

Everlasting Homes Building Group (EHBG) specializes in homes that withstand nature’s fury while offering sustainability, efficiency, and resilience. Braeswood Bayou, a 15,333-square-foot luxury custom home in Houston, is a prime example of that capability. T

he home showcases EHBG’s 3D Structural Concrete Insulated Panels (SCIPs), which are high-strength, load bearing, lightweight and industrially prefabricated. The panels are designed to withstand 200-mile-per-hour winds, and earthquakes of up to 9.0 on the Richter scale, are flood and fire resilient, and energy efficient. Like all of EHBG’s projects, Braeswood Bayou is a Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) certified by RESNET.

This home features RESNET Index rating of 41. The lower energy, insurance and maintenance costs will save the homeowners up to 40 percent of the original construction cost over a 30-year mortgage.

Sweet Fern

This nearly 3,000-square-foot custom home reflects connection, resilience, and beauty that runs deeper than design. It is fully electric, net-positive, and designed to live in harmony with its surroundings. With a HERS rating of minus 9, the home produces more energy than it uses. A 10.5-11 kilowatt rooftop solar array provides 40.5 kilowatt hours of battery storage and energy independence. Heating and cooling are handled by a three-well geothermal system.

The home also features a custom network system rivaling a data center—wired, resilient, and tailored to the owners’ lifestyle. From smart panels to lighting, technology runs seamlessly in the background, adding convenience without distraction. Meanwhile, warm materials, rich textures, and intentional spaces reflect the couple’s desire for comfort and joy.

Colorado River House

The process of this project entailed how to best connect the homeowners to their incredible site. Metal siding protects the home from the at-times harsh and potentially fire-prone environment. Large triple-pane windows and an extremely tight, super-insulated envelope create a space that is energy efficient and exceptionally comfortable; the all-electric home is ENERGY STAR certified and built using Passive House principles.

Ample daylight, natural airflow, no-VOC natural materials, and filtered mechanical ventilation contribute to an extremely healthy indoor environment. In addition, there had been an existing, deteriorating home on the property; much of the existing foundation was repurposed, which avoided waste and saved approximately 1,872kg CO2e in carbon emissions. Use of all-wood construction and natural materials further minimizes the carbon footprint.

Northwest Bungalow

This custom-built net zero home presented a unique challenge due to its sloped lot and rear garage access, and a requirement for strict adherence to subdivision guidelines and city regulations.

Window placement was thoughtfully planned to frame key views, enhance interior daylighting, and support passive heating and cooling strategies for year-round comfort and energy efficiency. A rooftop solar array powers this all-electric home, enabling it to achieve a Net Zero Plus design. The home features high-quality insulation, efficient heat pumps, and high-performance windows, resulting in an Energy Performance Score of 0 and the Home Energy Rating (HERS) index score of minus 19.

Inside, clean lines and sustainable materials are prioritized, along with water-saving fixtures and low-VOC finishes, further reducing the home’s environmental impact.

Download the January/February issue of Green Builder magazine to read about all the winners of the 2026 Green Home of the Year competition.