When you choose to use a certified passive house builder to build you a passive house you can save immensely on conventional heating and cooling. By upgrading the building envelope and using renewable energy heating and cooling you have a home that is practically airtight, insulated, have hardly any energy loss and is very comfortable to live in. You are using passive building solutions and design to eliminate the need for active technologies like heating and cooling that waste fossil fuels. If you are thinking of building a passive house then here is some more information on its design.
Offering thermal mass
The building of a passive house can use either lightweight or dense materials, if lightweight is used then some internal thermal mass is added. It means the materials are able to store heat so when it is hot in the day they will absorb the heat and then in the evening when the temperature drops that heat is part of what keeps the rooms warm.
Using solar energy
The sun gives us free energy, we just need to take advantage of it! Using passive or certified green home builders solar design can be used. This is not about solar panels, though some homes might. It is all about passive design to take advantage of the energy the sun sheds. The house will be orientated in a certain way, the rooms set out so that the solar heat that is absorbed can be used as part of its heating.
Using high-performance windows
Using high-performance windows is a very important part of a passive house design being successful. Using triple-glazed windows adds to the overall effectiveness of the building envelope. Combining triple-paned and insulated glazing with low-E glass and filled air gaps with krypton or argon means energy usage is significantly lowered and it improves your comfort in the home.
Putting in top insulation
Another important aspect of building a passive home is making sure the insulation is just right everywhere. The insulation used and how it is done as the most impact on how much energy you can save. In an average passive house, putting in top insulation can reduce the loss of heat by as much as 50%.
Using waste heat
A certified passive house builder will build a home that takes the heat from things like appliances and your lighting, and even the body heat from the people living in the home and uses it keep the home comfortable.
Having an airtight building
It is important to have an airtight building as warm air leaking from the house means a lot of heat loss and then wasted energy. Designers and builders make sure there are fewer if any gaps and cracks that air can flow through.
Using heat recovery ventilation
The process of turning heat energy in the air into replacement air coming in is called heat recovery ventilation. It is something certified passive or certified green home builders can put in, in the for form of individual room fans or in a central system.
