Passive House brings Net Zero within reach · May 21, 04:15 PM
A year ago we blogged about how to build a net zero house. The basic idea is this: build a house so it consumes a small amount of energy, then generate the energy using renewables like solar or wind.
The Passive House takes insulation, air sealing, and no-thermal-bridging to an extreme, allowing the house to be heated by occupants, appliances, light coming in through southern windows, and a small, supplemental heat source – the size of a hair dryer. Passive Houses use about 10% of the heating and cooling energy of homes built to meet today’s energy codes.
Here’s the “aha” moment – renewables are suddenly affordable for a home like this. A 3000 sq. ft. Northern Virginia home, built to today’s energy codes, would use about $60,000 worth of solar panels. A Passive House would use about $10,000. Still a lot of money, but at least worth considering!
— Laura Campbell
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