Passive House Design 2 Goals: 1. Minimize Energy Losses 2. Maximize Passive Energy Gains
Results = 90% Energy Savings compared to a conventional home.
90% !
G r e e n E a r t h E q u i t i e s . C o m
Š 2010
Saving The Planet One House At A Time
Passive House Design: The Seven Basic Principles 1. Super Insulate 2. Eliminate Thermal Bridges 3. Make It Airtight 4. Heat Recovery Ventilation 5. High Performance Windows & Doors 6. Optimize Passive Solar & Internal Heat Gains 7. Model Energy Gains & Losses With the PHPP*
*Passive House Planning Package is the modeling TheSaving Planet One House software used to plan Passive Houses At A Time G r e e n E a r t h E q u i t i e s . C o m
Š 2010
1. Super Insulate R values of double to triple what is current code in the US are specified in order to meet the Passive House standard. Under floor & slab is essential. Amounts are climate and site specific and Quality Install is absolutely essential to get the value and meet the standard G r e e n E a r t h E q u i t i e s . C o m
Š 2010
Saving The Planet One House At A Time
2. Eliminate Thermal Bridges Things that are not as important in poorly performing buildings (like the US housing stock) (like nails and fasteners penetrating thru insulation) ... Become very important after the more blatant Home Performance errors have been corrected. Here thermal bridging is eliminated with blocks of exterior insulation sealed and adhered to the wall. G r e e n E a r t h E q u i t i e s . C o m
Š 2010
Saving The Planet One House At A Time
3. Make It Airtight Although this CFM50 leakage number is tight enough to brag about in a California renovation project and requires the home to be ventilated “on purpose” ... It is still 7 times too leaky to meet the Passive House standard. This shows how much room there is for improvement in American Homes. G r e e n E a r t h E q u i t i e s . C o m
© 2010
Saving The Planet One House At A Time
4. Heat Recovery Ventilation Passive Houses have greatly improved indoor air quality with their HRV or ERV systems. Heat is also recovered from water. Heat losses have been reduced so much that conventional heating systems are not usually specified. (Since mini split heat pumps provide cooling in Central CA, they will also provide heat more efficiently than the simpler resistance electric solutions used without heat pumps.) G r e e n E a r t h E q u i t i e s . C o m
Š 2010
Saving The Planet One House At A Time
5. High Performance Windows & Doors Triple Pane with Argon fill is the lowest performance that is even considered. Windows and Doors of this quality are just beginning to be available in the US.
G r e e n E a r t h E q u i t i e s . C o m
Š 2010
Saving The Planet One House At A Time
6. Optimize Passive Solar & Internal Heat Gains More glass to the south. Less to the other directions. Openable windows
Same design but owners declined vent system & are uncomfortable
This home was just being completed. The owner and his family had just moved in and loved the comfort of their new home. (details to follow) Notable feature at my visit was total lack of stratification of temperature downstairs to upstairs G r e e n E a r t h E q u i t i e s . C o m
Š 2010
Saving The Planet One House At A Time
7. Model Energy Gains & Losses With the PHPP PHPP is the Passive House Excel Spreadsheet that is used to model each change as a PH designer adds and changes components of a project. We will explore this tool and the approach that it requires in future presentations.
G r e e n E a r t h E q u i t i e s . C o m
Š 2010
Saving The Planet One House At A Time
Applications? Many have thought (including myself) that Passive House was too stringent a standard to be practical for widespread acceptance in the US. But, visiting the conference and the example house, has caused me to be taking another look.
Roof Turf & Garden with Solar on an office building
G r e e n E a r t h E q u i t i e s . C o m
Š 2010
Saving The Planet One House At A Time
Spreading PH Thinking (After 15 years of diligent work, most Germans are still unaware of the PassivHaus standard and it’s benefits and need to be “Sold” on the idea) That awareness and thinging barrier is even higher in the US. What are the thinking barriers and what is the solution to changing the paradigm to where Passive House seems to be the most logical thing to do?
Two Passive House Thinkers At Dresden, Germany Saving
G r e e n E a r t h E q u i t i e s . C o m
© 2010
The Planet One House At A Time
Short Term Thinking vs Hundred Year Planning Perhaps the biggest paradigm shift that makes Passive House Design make sense is to start planning and building everything to last 100 years. This is now part of the Green Earth Equities master plan! G r e e n E a r t h E q u i t i e s . C o m
Š 2010
Saving The Planet One House At A Time