Why Bensonwood Builds Passive Homes
Blog
JULY
2018
Sarah Kossayda
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Sarah Kossayda
When we think of solutions to climate change what often comes to mind are the tailpipes of our cars and trucks, and smokestacks of factories and industry. Rarely do we consider the houses we live in and the effects our homes’ energy consumption has on the levels of C02 in the atmosphere. Passive home building attempts to solve this problem.
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Building in the U.S
The fact remains that buildings account for a staggering 40 percent of CO2 emissions in the U.S. and out-consume both the industrial and transportation sectors in the nation (according to the U.S. Green Building Council). Imagine for a moment what it would mean if our older homes, apartment buildings, and office complexes were retrofitted to be super energy efficient; and all new construction of single and multi-family buildings required no fossil fuels — at all — to remain cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
Renewable Energy Sources
With a load of heating and cooling taken away from the electrical grid, renewable energy now can generate household electricity demands. That would mean 40 percent of the C02 that is today being emitted into the atmosphere by our buildings would be gone. Passive house standards exist today to create that reality that could be one answer to our climate change crisis.
You see, when we build a super-tight and super insulated (i.e., to passive house standards), any heat produced by the sun in the winter stays inside the home; and in the summer any cool nighttime breezes also remain inside the home when combined with proper shading from the hot sun. Air filtration keeps fresh air continually circulating the super-tight building.
The building colored blue indicates the superior insulation properties of a passive house
Building a Passive Home
Passive house building — which uses up to 90 percent less energy than a typical code-built house — utilizes a set of proven design principles and standards that create a home that is super energy-efficient, yet maintains the comfort that homeowners expect. Specific design criteria result in ultra-low energy use buildings that require little to no fossil fuels for heating or cooling.
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More Questions About a Passive Home?
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