'Ghost' House Aims for Net Zero Energy A home without living
residents will test its running water, lights and appliances
remotely to examine energy-efficient technologies. CREDIT:
National Institute of Standards and Technology An uninhabited
home has faucets running hot water, lights turning on and off,
and household appliances coming alive at odd hours. But it's not
a poltergeist banging around a haunted house — the ghostly
behavior comes from a new U.S. experiment aimed at building
homes that could create as much energy as they use. The remote-
controlled house features small devices that give off the same
amount of heat and humidity as humans to help mimic the
activities of a family of four over a year, according to
researchers at the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST). That will help NIST test energy-efficient
technologies, forge design standards for energy efficiency, and
ultimately help American homeowners cut back on their utility
bills. "Results from this lab will show if net-zero h