There is a lot of talk about net zero energy (NZE) houses. Clearly that is the goal if we are to live sustainably. But it is a difficult goal to achieve, even with a Passive House. The reason is that… read more →
Comparison of projected energy costs between this house and a hypothetical identical house built to the Energy Star standard Posted from: MD, USA During Earth Week we were asked to do presentations at NIH and DOE on this house. In… read more →
Posted from: MD, USA A few pictures of the house and an update on what is going on. Porch decking is now installed on front and side porches. Deck framing at west side (to left in this picture) has just… read more →
Passive House Plans Available We originally designed the New American Foursquare to serve as a prototype Passive House, one that could be replicated affordably in several sizes and configurations. Informed by the experience of building this house, as the project… read more →
Posted from: MD, USA After the building envelope, the key element of any Passive House is its ventilation system. Because the envelope is so tight, fresh air must be brought in mechanically during the heating and cooling months when the… read more →
DOE tours the house Today a group from the Department of Energy came by to see the house. As I was getting ready for their arrival, it occurred to me that what makes this house unique is not just that… read more →
Passive House Featured in USA Today Wendy Koch wrote a nice piece on Passive Houses as the lead article in the Money section of Friday’s USA Today. That’s our project on the cover. Here’s the link: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2011/02/passive-houses-aggressively-reduce-energy/1?csp=usat.me
Mid Atlantic Passive House Alliance Meets Up at the Site Last weekend some 15 members of the Mid Atlantic Passive House Alliance (MAPHA) descended upon our project on a very cold and windy day. Inside, even though the temporary heating… read more →
Energy rater Chris Conway of Conway Green Construction visited the site last week with his blower door fan and infrared imaging camera to perform the first blower door tests of our house. It was a critical moment, determining whether all… read more →
Posted from: MD, USA The front porch framing just going up in this photo taken yesterday by Terry Hill. Work on the side porch and roof framing, (not shown) is now complete. Work on the west side deck framing is… read more →