What is a passive house you may ask?
A Passive House is a very well-insulated, virtually air-tight building that is primarily heated by passive solar gain and by internal gains from people, electrical equipment, etc. Energy losses are minimized. Any remaining heat demand is provided by an extremely small source. Avoidance of heat gain through shading and window orientation also helps to limit any cooling load, which is similarly minimized. An energy recovery ventilator provides a constant, balanced fresh air supply. The result is an impressive system that not only saves up to 90% of space heating costs, but also provides a uniquely terrific indoor air quality.
To achieve the required level of insulation, the walls tend to be very thick (12").
The main performance requirements are as follows:
• Airtight building shell ≤ 0.6 ACH @ 50 pascal pressure, measured by blower-door test.
• Annual heat requirement ≤ 15 kWh/m2/year
• Primary Energy ≤ 120 kWh/m2/year
The initial construction cost tends to be a little higher than conventional construction, but the energy savings should pay for this and then some.
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4 comments:
that would be awesome! good luck. and good for you.
Our house is passive when Ben is napping...
Passive...isn't that Dan's approach to cleaning the house?
What is a passive-aggressive house Chris?
My guess would be a passive house built on an ancient indian burial ground...like the Poltergeist movie.
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