The Passive House: Part 3

This New York Times graphic does an excellent job of showing the intricate components of Passive House design. Just by looking at this image, one can see the many details that go into passive structure planning. But the benefits of this meticulous design are immense – these designs go beyond just being “zero energy” and completely eliminate the need for energy producing systems completely. The shift towards these passive, efficient, and simplified green systems are what make passive house design an attractive new model for creating sustainable homes.

The Passive House: Part 2

Making the “passive” standard work.

The way that Passive House structures come to be is through meticulous planning during the design process. Instead of being able to retrofit and improve older structure, Passive House buildings require a multitude of considerations. One quality of these “passive” structures is that they are airtight and super-insulated. This is necessary in order to reach low-leak goals. Thick walls and an abundance of insulation help achieve this standard. While typical American homes usually have walls that are 6 inches thick, passive structures can be as many as three times as thick.

Another design consideration that is very important for passive house structures is consideration of where the sun is located in relation to the building. Accounting for maximal window and facade exposure to the southern sun is optimal in order to retain as much heat as possible. According to the Passive House Institute’s “Passive House Checklist,” accounting for a “southernly orientation” of +/- 30° and large south-facing window areas is an important part of determining a prime location for passive house construction.

While the passive house standards decrease energy demand for heating significantly, some space heating systems may be required. Minimizing the impact of these augmentative systems is ideal. For example, one passive house structure in Vermont used a wood burning stove and electric radiant floors to ensure a comfortable home and prevention of plumbing problems.

More Information:
Passive House Checklist
“Can We Build in a Brighter Shade of Green?”

What is Passive Solar?

Architect Greg Madeen created these illustrations of how passive solar energy works. It’s really cool!

The Passive House: Part I

The Passive Solar House: History and Demands

When considering how to design an energy efficient structure, there are many different methods architects can utilize in order to reach energy efficient goals in their designs. One such method is called the Passive House (or Passivhaus) Standard. Popular in Germany and Austria, the idea for the standard sparked when a conversation happened between Lund University professor Bo Adamson and Institut für Wohnen und Umwelt (Institute for Housing and the Environment) professor Wolfgang Feist in May 1988.

The influence of the Passive House standard has grown greatly over the past 24 years. As of August 2012, 15,000 to 20,000 Passive House modeled sites were located in Europe. The U.S. has been slow to adopt this standard though, as only 13 Passive House structures had been built as of August 2010. In 1996, a “Passivhaus Institute” was formed in order to promote and control the standards.

In brief, the standards demand three key energy efficiency requirements – 1) The building must not exceed certain heating and cooling demands; 2) Total primary energy consumption – energy used for eletricity, heating, and hot water – cannot exceed a given limit; and 3) The building cannot leak more than 0.6 time the house volume per hour. All of these requisites allow for these architectural structures to eliminate conventional heating systems from their designs. Energy consumption due to heating in Passive House structures is also slashed by nearly 90%. As a result, the buildings become more energy efficient, green, and less expensive to construct.

hi, i’m emily: a new contributing blogger!

Hello KSDG blog readers! My name is Emily and I’m excited to start writing for the Kevin Stephens Design Group blog  on sustainability, architecture, and the world of green design.

I’m a second year undergraduate at UC Berkeley originally from Boston, MA. I am obsessed with cities, and love to travel. London is by far my favorite, but I’ve also had the joy of seeing and experiencing Hong Kong, Athens, Paris, and of course San Francisco.

In my spare time, you can find me designing on PhotoShop and Illustrator, browsing Tumblr blogs, hitting the books at Berkeley’s Environmental Design library, or watching reruns of cheesy Bravo TV shows. I strive to keep myself busy and inspired at all times!

What I love about KSDG is that the company integrates so many of my interests. I have always been drawn to architecture, and love the beautiful detail of technical drawings and the ability to create certain feelings and atmospheres through innovative architectural design. Green architecture is especially fascinating to me because of the creativity that goes along with discovering ways to make buildings more environmentally friendly. I am also drawn to the social mission of affordability and environmental friendliness that KSDG embraces. Lastly, I also have an interest in business and finance, as I’ve always been a “numbers person” and I love thinking about new, creative, and effective business strategies.

You can all look forward to seeing an abundance of new posts on a range of topics, including interviews with current KSDG staff members, updates on projects that KSDG is working on, reviews of what other people are doing in the field of sustainable architecture, and general tips on how you can improve the “green” quality of your life.

-Emily