![]() ![]() Passive house designs can reduce energy consumption for heating and cooling by as much as 75 percent compared to new builds, and up to 90 percent compared to existing stock. What are the benefits of passive house design? “We were founded as an affordable housing development organization,” explains Klingenberg, “but we quickly refocused our mission from building these homes to teaching others how to build them.” Teach a man to fish sustainably, and all that. Heat recovery ventilators remove old, moist air and bring in fresh air while extracting heat from the exhausted air (during the winter) to avoid having to expend energy to heat up the fresh air.īuildings that achieve extreme energy efficiency can be submitted for certification by a body like Phius. Since passive houses are airtight, balanced ventilation is needed to bring in fresh air and push out pollutants, smells, moisture and carbon dioxide.Wall studs, window casings, and how a wall meets a balcony are all examples of potential thermal bridges. That path is through an object that is more conductive than the material around it, creating a thermal bridge-and a major source of energy loss. Heat moves from hot areas to cold ones, taking a path of least resistance. Furthermore, solar heat gain through thoughtfully positioned windows can be used to warm the interior during the winter, and be counteracted by shades in the summer. High-performance glazing on windows and doors further reduces heat flow.Air leakage means more energy use, cold and drafty rooms, and moisture and condensation problems. Airtight construction stops outside air from getting in and conditioned inside air from getting out.Continuous insulation through the building’s entire envelope-what separates the inside from the outside-keeps it warm when its cold and cool when its warm, and improves soundproofing, durability and building resiliency.And any kind of construction-not just houses, but apartment complexes, commercial structures, skyscrapers-can be considered a passive house building, as long as it adheres to the five principles of building science: Simply put, it’s a super-efficient and comfortable building. “We’re experiencing a hockey-stick growth curve for certifications,” she says. The Passive House Institute US (Phius)-the training and certification non-profit Klingenberg founded in 2002 and runs to this day-estimates builders will submit 11 million square feet of construction in 2022 alone. ![]() By 2009, there were about 10 passive house projects in the US 250 in 2016. Twenty years ago, architect Katrin Klingenberg broke ground on the first passive house in the country. ![]()
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