Zanetto Builders — Forever Home Builders

Zanetto Builders

Energy Efficient Home Builders Tasmania

We design and build energy efficient homes across Tasmania — built for comfort, lower energy demand and long-term performance.

Zanetto Builders designs and builds energy-efficient homes across Tasmania, treating each home as a complete system — orientation, envelope, glazing and ventilation working together. The result is lasting comfort, lower running costs and stable temperatures year-round. For the highest performance, we build to the certified Passive House standard, including a home certified at just 10 kWh/m²·yr heating demand.

We design and build energy efficient homes across Tasmania that prioritise comfort, long-term performance, and considered design.

By treating the home as a complete system — orientation, building envelope, glazing, ventilation, and services working together from the first design decision — we create homes that use less energy, maintain more stable temperatures, and perform consistently throughout every season, without compromising the architecture.

Our Approach for Energy Efficient Homes

Site & Orientation

Using passive solar principles and site-specific design to reduce heating and cooling demand before construction begins.

Building Envelope Design

Creating a continuous thermal envelope through insulation, glazing, airtightness, and thoughtful detailing.

Material & System Selection

Selecting materials and systems that improve durability, efficiency, comfort, and long-term performance.

Construction Delivery

Protecting performance targets during construction through quality control, testing, and precise execution.

Every stage is managed to ensure the home performs efficiently, remains comfortable throughout the year, and delivers long-term value for its owners.

Start your eco home.

A home that costs a fraction to run, is warm in every room, and can prove it with numbers rather than adjectives.

Start Your Eco Home

Why High Performance Homes Feel Different

Comfort is designed in. Most people associate energy efficiency with lower power bills, but the first thing our clients notice is comfort. Stable indoor temperatures, fewer draughts, warmer surfaces in winter, and cooler spaces in summer create a living experience that standard homes simply struggle to achieve.

Performance starts with the building envelope. The biggest gains in energy efficiency come from what you can't see — insulation continuity, airtightness, performance glazing, and thoughtful detailing work together to reduce energy demand while improving durability and indoor comfort.

Better homes for the long term. Energy efficient homes aren't just cheaper to run; a properly designed building envelope helps manage moisture, reduce condensation risk, and protect the structure for decades. They're designed to perform as well in twenty years as they do on the day they're handed over.

Learn more about Passive House.

Why Zanetto Builders

Zanetto Builders specialises in energy efficient homes and high performance homes that combine building science, architectural quality, and long-term durability. Every home we build applies the same performance fundamentals — thermal continuity, controlled ventilation, considered glazing, and a properly sealed building envelope — to create homes that are comfortable, efficient, and built to perform for decades.

— Kyle Zanetto, Director

Our certified Passive House at Blackmans Bay, Bluebush, was named HIA Australian GreenSmart Home of the Year 2026 at the 2026 HIA Australian GreenSmart Awards — the national program’s highest honour (see the awards).

Confused about star ratings? We’ve explained what a 7-star energy rating means in Tasmania — and what it doesn’t, including why a modelled rating is the floor for performance, not the ceiling.

What makes a home genuinely energy efficient?

Energy efficiency isn’t a product you bolt on — it’s a system you design in. The biggest gains come from the parts you never see: a continuous, well-insulated building envelope, airtight detailing that stops draughts and heat loss, high-performance glazing, and orientation that works with Tasmania’s sun instead of against it. Get those right and the home stays warm in winter and cool in summer while asking far less of its heating.

That’s the same building science behind our Passive House work — we simply apply it at every level, whether or not a project pursues full certification.

Bluebush, a certified Passive House at Blackmans Bay
Bluebush, Blackmans Bay — our certified Passive House, and 2026 HIA Australian GreenSmart Home of the Year.

What energy efficiency actually saves you

The headline is comfort, but the number is the running cost. A properly sealed, well-insulated home needs a fraction of the heating a standard Tasmanian build does — our certified Passive House at Blackmans Bay, Bluebush, runs on roughly 80–90% less heating energy than a conventional home. In a climate where heating is the biggest line on the power bill, that compounds every winter for the life of the home.

If you want to see what that looks like against your own usage, put your figures through our Passive House savings calculator.

Kitchen and living space at Bluebush with wide glazing
Bluebush, Blackmans Bay — tested at 0.5 air changes per hour against a limit of 0.6.

Energy efficient, custom, and built for Tasmania

Every energy-efficient home we build is still a one-off custom home — the performance framework never dictates the architecture. We build across Tasmania, from Launceston and the North to Hobart and the East Coast, through the same open-book Forever Home Process.

If you want a home that costs less to run and feels better to live in, start your application and we’ll show you what’s possible on your site.

Zanetto Builders holds Tasmanian building licence CC7565 and is a member of Master Builders Tasmania, the HIA and the Australian Passive House Association — a team recognised with 26 state and national building awards, including the 2026 HIA Australian GreenSmart Home of the Year. To get started, request your 48-hour feasibility.

Frequently asked questions

Energy Efficient Home Builders Tasmania — your questions answered

What is an energy efficient home?+

An energy efficient home is designed to reduce the amount of energy required to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures. Through insulation continuity, airtightness, performance glazing, and considered orientation, the home stays warmer in winter and cooler in summer while requiring less mechanical heating and cooling.

How much does it cost to build an energy efficient home?+

Energy efficient homes typically cost around 5–15% more than standard construction, depending on the performance targets and systems selected. That additional investment is often recovered through lower running costs, improved comfort, and increased durability over the life of the home.

Are energy efficient homes more expensive to build?+

Usually, but only modestly. The additional investment generally comes from improved insulation, better glazing, airtightness detailing, and ventilation systems. These upgrades improve performance, reduce energy demand, and contribute to a healthier and more durable home.

What features make a home energy efficient?+

The most important features are continuous insulation, a well-sealed building envelope, high-performance glazing, passive solar design, and controlled ventilation. When these elements work together as a complete system, the performance improvements can be substantial.

What is the difference between an energy efficient home and a high performance home?+

Energy efficient homes reduce energy demand and operating costs. High performance homes typically take a more rigorous approach through tested airtightness, verified insulation continuity, mechanical ventilation, and construction-stage performance verification. Passive House is the most recognised certified high-performance standard.

Does orientation really matter when designing a home?+

Absolutely. In Tasmania's climate, correct orientation can dramatically improve passive solar gain in winter while reducing overheating in summer. It's one of the most cost-effective performance decisions available and one of the hardest to correct later.

What insulation is best for an energy efficient home?+

The most important factor is not the product itself but how it forms part of the overall system. Continuous insulation without gaps or thermal bridges will outperform higher-rated insulation that is poorly detailed or installed.

Can energy efficient homes be customised?+

Completely. Energy efficiency is a performance framework rather than a design style. Every home can be customised to suit the client's brief while still incorporating the principles that improve comfort, efficiency, and durability.

How do energy efficient homes perform in Tasmania's climate?+

Very well. Tasmania's cool temperate climate is ideally suited to passive solar design and high-performance building principles. Properly designed homes are warmer, drier, and more comfortable while requiring significantly less energy to operate.

Are energy efficient homes healthier to live in?+

Yes. A well-sealed and properly ventilated home delivers fresh, filtered air while helping manage moisture, mould, and indoor air quality. Consistent temperatures also contribute to a healthier living environment.

How long do the benefits of an energy efficient home last?+

The performance benefits are built into the structure of the home itself. Insulation continuity, airtightness, and considered glazing continue to perform for decades when properly designed and maintained.

Do you build to Passive House standard?+

Yes. We deliver both certified Passive House projects and high-performance homes that apply the same building science principles. Whether certification is pursued or not, the focus remains on comfort, durability, and long-term performance.

Build a Home That Performs for You

An energy efficient home delivers more than lower running costs. It creates a more comfortable, durable, and enjoyable place to live every day.

Speak with our team about building an energy efficient home designed for Tasmania's climate and your long-term lifestyle goals.

As featured on

The Local ProjectDesign Matters NationalMy Aussie Build (9Life)HIA Housing InsightThe Construction SourceThe MercuryThe ExaminerThe Good Builder

As heard on

Level UpThe Mindful BuilderThe ToolshedConstruction ChampionsThe Contracting HandbookGrow A Small BusinessBuild InsiteThe Paul Norton Podcast

Accredited & proud member of

Master Builders Tasmania — MemberHousing Industry Association — MemberAustralian Passive House Association — MemberSustainable Builders Alliance — Proud MemberPassive House Institute — Certified

Let's build your Forever Home.

Book a no-obligation consultation with our team and start the journey.

Start Your Project