Green House: Insulation so Tight it can be heated by Body Heat- Energy Efficient, Net Zero Energy, Passive Homes
Green Homes so well insulated that a furnace or boiler isn’t required? Get ready to learn a whole new vocabulary says engineers in the field. Terms like ‘net zero energy’ which means homes that produce as much energy as is used. ‘Passive homes’ means introducing no or low amounts of power from external to the building sources. The book Toward a Zero Energy Home by David Johnston is recommended for background reading.
There are upsides and downsides to these passive homes built so tight that one owner described it as like building his home like a thermos. They use so little energy that the increased building costs are absorbed in 10 years. No furnace or boiler needed, in some cases only body heat is required or as little as provided by a hair dryer.
In an energy conscious society the concept of passive home construction could be common within five years according to Nate Kredich of U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). USGBC has a green rating system. The variable is whether enough building manufacturers adopt it to bring the cost down. Currently the differential is about 8%. The cost savings on a 4200 sq. ft. home might be the difference between a passive home with $750 annual heating bill and one with traditional heating and ducting at $2500 per year.
A related green standard organization is Passive House Institute US (PHIUS). The Illinois organization uses standards similar to the German Passivhaus Standard (GPS). It has certified about 12+ American homes as passive green homes. Thousands have been constructed in Europe which is thought to be more ideal than the US because the temperature swings are as drastic.
Not needed are pricy solar panels, noisy heat pumps or even ducts. Peace and quite is another benefit. With energy prices going up and President Obama pushing for energy efficiency the prospects are bright.
The downside is that to achieve the tight space control few windows are used but instead the walls and roofs are at least a foot thick. The windows that are used are triple paned. Fresh air or cooling and heating are brought in only as required because otherwise a passive home is air sealed. Passive House Alliance is also promoting the concept.
Alex Wilson of Environmental Building News says that existing home renovations can also reduce energy requirements with some of the features such as the windows. Serious Materials of California is one of the U.S. manufacturers of these windows.
To achieve the maximum impact your house for the future may look a bit boxy and bit more pricy but inside you can face the winter storms and have money to spend after the melt.
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