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Net-Zero Energy Home

Matt Grocoff's home is the first (and so far, only) net-zero energy home in Michigan, according to its owner. And when he says his home is net-zero energy, he’s using the strictest definition.

“What we go by ... is to be all electric, net-zero site energy. Meaning on-site you produce more energy than you consume on the grid,” he explains.

The house on South Seventh Street was named one of the seven Greenest Homes in America in 2010 by USA Today , and has been featured in countless other publications .

Grocoff achieves net-zero energy through solar panels, insulation, a self-adjusting thermostat, an air-circulation system in the attic and LED light bulbs. “I won’t have to change (the lightbulbs) until after my daughter has her Ph.D.,” he jokes.

Solar Panels line the roof of Grocoff's home

In all, he and his wife Kelly have invested about $47,000 into green technologies for their home, but Grocoff says he’ll end up paying less than the average homeowner in the long-run. To emphasize the point, he pulls out his electric bill from August — negative $88.

Previous Work

Though Grocoff didn’t begin promoting green housing until a few years ago, he was always interested in pursuing a career related to the environment. “There was never an ‘Ah-ha’ moment,” he says. Originally, he planned to become an environmental lawyer, and attended law school in his home state at the University of Georgia. He soon realized, however, that instead of using the law to regulate what people and companies can do, he wanted to inspire others to proactively help the environment.

“(The law)’s just preventing people from doing the absolute moral worst,” says Grocoff. “I realized that just wasn’t the way to do it”

After pursuing a brief career in television in Santa Monica, California, Grocoff settled in Ann Arbor when his wife began her graduate studies at the University of Michigan in 2005. After researching methods to green his home, he realized there was no other net-zero energy home in America after which he could model his own. The opportunity to become a positive example for others that he had been waiting for since law school had arrived, and Grocoff took full advantage.

Lester Graham, an investigative reporter for Michigan Radio, worked with Grocoff on a series of programs for Michigan Radio’s Environmental Report in 2010. Graham says Grocoff is an earnest individual “ahead of his time,” who sometimes grows impatient with the public’s inaction towards climate change.

“He passionately wants the world to understand why people can do something about climate change and they can do it right now,” says Graham. “He hopes his examples will inspire others.”

Current Projects

Currently, Grocoff runs an energy consultation company, and free-lances for various news outlets and publications. He is also the founder and CEO of Greenovation TV , a program that provides viewers with tips and tricks for greening their homes. Additionally, he’s wrapping up a report for Habitat for Humanity in Traverse City, Michigan. The report’s intent is to convince the house-building organization to invest in green technology for an entire neighborhood of homes it’s producing.

Ultimately though, Grocoff says he wouldn’t mind teaching at the University nestled just a fifteen-minute walk away from his home, or getting involved in greening his only daughter Jane’s elementary school when she’s old enough to attend.

Personal Life

Grocoff lives in Ann Arbor with his wife and daughter, Jane.

Kelly, Grocoff’s wife, says that his passion and commitment for the environment — evidenced by the large volume of projects he undertakes — are infectious, and part of the reason she fell in love with him.

“Matt uses every opportunity he can to learn and grow,” she says. “Where most people would quickly become disillusioned or even depressed by the mess we're making of our environment, Matt remains optimistic and steadfast in his mission.”