A&E Building Systems

Passive House is one of the most rigorous energy efficiency standards in the world.   Often confused with Passive Solar Design, the primary objective of the Passive House standard is to reduce the energy required for heating by 90%.  With recent press in Oprah Magazine, the New York Times and across a broad spectrum of green building blogs and websites, Passive House has become a hot topic in the US.

To most of us, Passive House means comfort, 75% to 85% lower utility bills and better indoor air quality.  The benefits also include higher quality buildings and a lower carbon footprint.  For Net Zero enthusiasts, Passive House significantly reduces the size and costs for mechanical and renewable energy systems.

While it is a German born standard, the origin of Passive House was in the US.  Dr. Wolfgang Feist came to the United States and Canada in the 1970’s to study super insulated homes built in response to the energy crisis.  After extensive research, Dr. Feist established the Passive House standard and energy modeling software called PHPP.

Passive House buildings are:

1. Roughly 10 times “tighter” than typical new construction.
2. Insulated 2 to 6 times more than typical new construction.
3. Designed to keep heat where it belongs.  Heat travels in or out of a building through thermal bridges like slabs, cantilevered balconies, studs, etc.
4. Designed to let the sun in during the winter and block it out during the summer.

Passive House myths:

1. “It is expensive.”  Local architect, Brian Fuentes, believes the Passive House standard can be cost neutral.  While the incremental cost in the US has been quoted at 5% to 20%, the incremental cost in Germany (where it has been practiced for over a decade) is 3% to 5%.  As builders, architects and installers become more familiar with Passive House, the cost will decrease.  It is important to factor in the total lifecycle costs including operational costs, building longevity and resale value.  Energy costs are typically 75% to 85% lower.  Construction quality is higher effectively extending the life of the building.  Finally, it is argued that Passive House buildings have better resale value.
2. “It is just for houses.”   The phrase “Passive House” is a literal translation from the German language.  Passive House buildings include commercial, residential, multifamily, schools etc.
3. “You can’t open the windows.”  Not only can you open the windows, but properly designed cross ventilation strategies also help achieve Passive House certification.
4. “Buildings need to breathe.”  True, but not randomly and uncontrollably through cracks and holes throughout the walls, floors, ceilings, windows etc.  Passive House buildings are mechanically ventilated with Heat or Energy Recovery Ventilation systems (HRV or ERV).   These systems bring in fresh air, filter it and exchange or “recover” the heat from the exiting air.
5. “Passive House buildings are ugly.”  From ultra contemporary to more classic traditional styles, examples abound across the US now.  The Passive House Standard can be achieved in this country in nearly any style.
6. “You can heat them with a hair dryer.”  While it is not recommended, this is partially true.  Passive House buildings are so efficient that the equivalent of a hair dryer is often enough to meet a majority of a modestly sized home’s heat load.

Passive House buildings are not only more comfortable and significantly less costly to operate, but they are also safer and healthier buildings in which to live, work, study and play.  Due to the high efficiency of Passive House buildings, designers account for the heat generated by the appliances, occupants and electronics in the building.   They are also designed to be more resistant to mold and moisture problems making them safer, healthier and more durable.

Want to build a Passive House commercial, residential, multifamily or school?   Please contact A&E Building Systems.  We work with several Certified Passive House Consultants and would be happy to provide you more information.

The definition of conservation is broad and wide ranging.  We do not ignore other fundamentals like reducing embodied energy and environmental impacts.  Conservation at A&E is a function of weighing short term and long term impacts in an imperfect world of data driven by profit.  Our product selection process takes many variables into consideration.  It is impossible to have high quality, high performance, attractive design, highly sustainable and low cost all wrapped into a nice tidy package.  Our product selection process includes weighing all variables to supply products optimal for each unique application.

What drives our passion?  We assume that our children will have children and their children will have children and so on.  We also assume that fossil fuels will become increasingly difficult to extract and that it is not necessary to extract them at the rate in which we are today.  The global population is growing and energy demand is growing domestically and globally.  If we consider current energy consumption, population growth and increase in demands due to economic prosperity in highly populated countries like India and China, how do we meet Global demand in 2112.  In 100 years, perhaps three to five generations, how will our great, great grand children heat, cool and light their homes and businesses, get to work, heat their water and cook dinner?  These are fundamental daily activities that do not include vacationing at Disney World or other more exotic locales, getting to soccer practice or powering a computer or TV.

A&E Building Systems provides products and services that help reduce energy demand today and in the future.  We favor products that are more sustainable and/or last for centuries not decades.