Build the most efficient home of your life
Zero Energy Build gives aspiring homeowners, owner-builders, and design-savvy buyers a complete technical education — from passive solar siting and structural systems to airtight envelopes and heat pumps — so you can commission or oversee a net-zero home with the confidence of a seasoned contractor.
"The homeowners who get the best-performing houses aren't the ones with the biggest budgets — they're the ones who understood enough to demand it."
— Straight from the Slab with Duane Holloway
What you'll learn
What you'll be able to do
- Understand and compare residential construction systems — wood frame, SIPs, ICF, and advanced framing — and select the right one for energy performance.
- Read and interpret construction drawings, energy compliance reports, and HERS ratings so you can evaluate bids and hold builders accountable.
- Design and specify a continuous building envelope — air barrier, vapor control, insulation layers, and thermal-bridge-free details — that meets or exceeds net-zero standards.
- Select and size high-efficiency mechanical systems, including heat pumps, HRVs/ERVs, and solar-ready electrical panels, for whole-house energy balance.
- Apply passive solar design principles — orientation, window-to-wall ratios, overhangs, and thermal mass — to dramatically reduce heating and cooling loads before any equipment is installed.
- Oversee the construction process using checklists, blower-door test milestones, and inspector conversations to ensure the finished home performs as designed.
How it works
A school that adapts to you
This isn't a set of static videos. Every lesson is generated live and tuned to where you actually are.
We learn your level
A quick placement check tailors your starting point so you're never bored or lost.
Lessons adapt as you go
Each lesson is written for your pace and your goal, adjusting as your skills grow.
Your AI coach keeps you moving
Checkpoints, feedback, and gentle nudges turn progress into a real result.
The curriculum
What's inside your school
6 modules · 29 lessons
Foundations of High-Performance Home Design
Establishes the energy, science, and documentation literacy every owner-builder needs before a single decision is made.
- 1.1What Makes a Home Truly Energy EfficientIncluded
- 1.2Reading Construction Drawings and SpecificationsIncluded
- 1.3Energy Compliance Reports and HERS ScoresIncluded
- 1.4Setting Your Performance Target and BudgetIncluded
Passive Solar Design and Site Strategy
Applies climate data, orientation, and solar geometry to slash heating and cooling loads before any equipment is specified.
- 2.1Reading Your Climate and Sun PathIncluded
- 2.2Orienting and Massing Your Home for Solar GainIncluded
- 2.3Window-to-Wall Ratios and Glazing SelectionIncluded
- 2.4Overhangs, Shading Devices, and Seasonal ControlIncluded
- 2.5Thermal Mass — Materials, Placement, and SizingIncluded
Structural Systems for Energy Performance
Compares the four primary residential construction systems so you can choose the best fit for airtightness, insulation, and cost.
- 3.1Wood Frame Framing — Conventional and AdvancedIncluded
- 3.2Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs)Included
- 3.3Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF)Included
- 3.4Comparing Systems — Cost, Labor, and Energy PerformanceIncluded
- 3.5Foundations — Slab, Crawlspace, and Basement StrategiesIncluded
Building Envelope — Air, Vapor, and Insulation
Teaches you to design and specify a continuous, thermal-bridge-free envelope that meets or exceeds net-zero standards.
- 4.1The Building Enclosure as a SystemIncluded
- 4.2Air Barriers — Materials, Details, and Common FailuresIncluded
- 4.3Vapor Control — Climate Zones and Smart MembranesIncluded
- 4.4Insulation Deep Dive — R-Values, Types, and PlacementIncluded
- 4.5Eliminating Thermal Bridges — Structural and Penetration DetailsIncluded
High-Efficiency Mechanical and Electrical Systems
Guides you through selecting, sizing, and integrating HVAC, ventilation, water heating, and solar-ready electrical for whole-house energy balance.
- 5.1Right-Sizing Loads — Manual J Heating and Cooling CalculationsIncluded
- 5.2Heat Pumps — Mini-Splits, Ducted, and Cold-Climate SystemsIncluded
- 5.3Whole-House Ventilation — HRVs, ERVs, and ASHRAE 62.2Included
- 5.4Heat Pump Water Heaters and Domestic Hot Water StrategyIncluded
- 5.5Solar-Ready Electrical Panels, EV Charging, and Battery BackupIncluded
Construction Oversight, Testing, and Commissioning
Equips you with checklists, test milestones, and inspector dialogue to ensure the finished home performs exactly as designed.
- 6.1Building Your Oversight Toolkit — Checklists and Photo LogsIncluded
- 6.2Blower-Door Testing — What It Measures and When to TestIncluded
- 6.3Working with Inspectors, HERS Raters, and Energy ConsultantsIncluded
- 6.4Common Construction Defects and How to Catch Them EarlyIncluded
- 6.5Final Commissioning, Occupancy, and Ongoing MonitoringIncluded
Who it's for
Is this you?
First-time home buyers
She's buying her first home and wants to make sure energy efficiency is baked in from the start — not bolted on as an afterthought.
Owner-builders
He's managing his own build and needs the technical depth to make smart structural and envelope decisions without a general contractor holding his hand.
Design-savvy homeowners
She has a clear vision for her custom home and wants to speak the same language as her architect and builder — so good intentions survive the construction process.
Skeptical renovators
He's deep into a major renovation and wants to understand which high-performance upgrades actually move the needle versus which ones are marketing fluff.
Sustainability-minded buyers
She cares about her home's carbon footprint and wants the technical knowledge to evaluate net-zero claims, HERS ratings, and green certifications critically.
Professionals adjacent to construction
He works in real estate, finance, or project management and wants a solid grounding in high-performance building science to better serve clients and evaluate properties.
Questions
Frequently asked
Your teacher
A note from your teacher
Straight from the Slab with Duane Holloway
Net-zero building is one of the most technically demanding things a homeowner can take on — and most of the education out there is either too vague or written for engineers. I built this school to close that gap: real construction knowledge, explained clearly, so you can walk onto any job site and know exactly what you're looking at.
— Straight from the Slab with Duane Holloway
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- 6 modules, 29 lessons
- AI-adaptive lessons tuned to your level
- Quizzes & checkpoints to lock in progress
- Your own AI learning coach
- Learn on any device, at your pace
- Full access for as long as you're subscribed