interested in making your home a net zero energy home? sometimes it’s nice to use a good book (or two) as your guide. here are some of our favorites.
you may have heard of barry schwartz’s famous “paradox of choice.” the premise of dr. schwartz’s paradox is simple: while our instinct is to believe that more choice is better, too many choices can overwhelm
timber ridge craftsmen. passive house designer / builder. smith mountain lake, roanoke virginia. green builder, net zero, solar, energy star, & earthcraft.
abstract. in this paper, a life cycle cost-based optimization analysis is carried out to compare the energy and cost performance of diverse sustainable designs of a residential building. these designs include code optimal, net zero energy building, and passive house. it is found that in the case where natural gas is employed, a total energy savings of 77% is optimal. the cost-optimal design for electrification achieves 100.12% of energy savings relative to the baseline design but results in a slightly high life cycle cost than that of the gas-cost optimal design. in addition, the results indicate that due to the additional capital costs for the required energy-efficient measures, the passive house case is less economically optimal than the net zero energy building design options. overall, the most cost-optimal designs are found to be for natural gas-heated homes with marginally better energy performance than the applicable current energy efficiency code with 10-kw solar panels.
westchester wife and husband have created the ultimate green home
net-zero homes produce as much energy as they consume. learn more about how these homes work, how to buy or build one and if one is right for you.
passive house design prioritizes home energy efficiency, comfort, durability & lower long-term costs. it's no wonder this architectural segment is growing.
net-zero homes are alternative green building structures which are on the rise in order to tackle the climate change emergency. these homes are strategically designed to cut down the green-house gas (ghg) emissions. in fact, these emissions are the principle polluters. from leaving the lights on unaware to blasting the thermostat non-stop to using innumerable […]
everything you need to know about net zero and passive house as we are fast approaching 2050 when we should already be expecting zero carbon if not well-managed carbon emissions, more and more catchphrases in the green industry are getting popularized especially in the mainstream news and media. now
over the past few years, canada has been actively pursuing sustainable building practices to mitigate the environmental impact of its construction sector. two
read our leed vs. net zero vs. passive house: what's the difference? article in the wdm architects newsroom.
it is not just about energy, but also the health/wellness discussion should be incorporated into the question.
did you know climate change is already affecting our […]
passive house (passivhaus) represents today’s highest energy standard, with the promise of reducing the energy consumption of buildings by up to 85% in new york while providing superior comfort and...
as architects and designers, we have a responsibility to create buildings that not only meet the functional needs of the occupants but also have a positive impact on the environment. one way to achieve this is by implementing high performance building design strategies in our projects.
project drawdown is the “most comprehensive plan ever proposed to reverse global warming”. according to their website, this initiative “gathered a qualified and diverse group of researchers from around the world to identify, research, and model the 100 most substantive, existing solutions to address climate change. what was uncovered is a path forward that can roll...
net zero ready vs net zero vspassive house net zero, net zero ready, and passive house are all terms that have been gaining popularity in the building industry but many do not know the key differences between them. although they are all focused on energy efficiency, they have very different approaches which can have a […]
lots of good resources are now available, detailing how to design and build houses that consume very little energy and that produce at least as much energy as they consume (i.e., net-zero-energy homes). some “passive” homes reduce energy consumption by as much as 80-90%. new book on the topic: energy free homes for a small planet, by ann edminster. see the post for info on this and other resources and links.
there are a lot of different paths you can take to get to a net-zero home. everything from passive homes to earthships to modular and factory built houses. you can retrofit an existing building or you can build a new one. all of the options can make your head spin and there are pros and
net zero vs passive house? one of canada's best strategies in combatting the effects of climate change is the development of net zero and passive houses.
the passive house concept has developed into one of the most rigorous construction standards in the world, offering a pathway to significantly cut down greenhouse gas emissions...
how to cut your home's carbon emission to zero by someone who has done it with heat pumps, insulation, triple-pane windows and solar panels which i call the fab four.
passive house is a building standard, originally developed in germany and called passivhaus , that reduces heating needs by an astonishing 90%. it was founded by dr. wolfgang feist in 1996, and since then, it has spread to many countries including the united states. there are already more than 60,0
a case study of a passive house, net zero home built by bpc green builders in north stamford ct.
rarely, can you call someone or something 'passive' and have it come off as a compliment. inactivity, especially in today's society, comes off as just plain lazy in most circles. oddly enough, adopting passive methods to power our homes just might ignite the fastest, most powerful sprint toward a net-zero building stock. passive energy practices cut back on energy use by 80%, ease harmful emissions, reduce reliance on the grid, save heaps of money, and offer the population far healthier indoor air quality (iaq).
zeroenergy design
the transformation to renewably powered and positive carbon buildings, communities, and planet is happening now with healthy, sustainable, regenerative, resilient, living buildings and places, connected to and built on biophilia and biomimicry (nature’s design principles).
fiberglass windows & doors. energy efficient windows. passive house windows. greenbuild home windows. triple pane, triple glazed windows
crest centre northern ireland by paul mcalister architects - commercial and residential buildings in europe are overall responsible for 40% of total energy consumption and 36% of co2 emissions.
is there anything more luxurious than spending time in a well-built home? standing proudly on a hill surrounded by gorgeous mountain views, situated in one of the coldest areas of colorado, the fraser-granby mountain valley, is a surprisingly efficient house. the contemporary active-passive solar house is situated and built to be cool in the summer
learn the differences between certifications before starting your new green home build or efficiency retrofit. bpc green builders helps ny and ct homeowners learn about the different kinds of energy efficient homes, find out how much green homes cost, and more.
are you interested in building or living in a net-zero or passive home? check out our latest blog post where we discuss net zero home design & tips in this buyers guide to next zero & passive homes.
university of toronto’s latest student residence welcomes the future of living with spaces that are warmed by laptops and shower water.&nb...
passive building (also known as passive house) is the most energy efficient, resilient and comfortable way to build, and phius is the industry leader.
the energy savings from net zero passive houses can reduce heating costs by 75% to 90%, and these new dwellings have a much longer life span, writes passive design solutions’ natalie leonard. she says ensuring that all new structures achieve significant and permanent energy reductions will require financial incentives to facilitate the replacement of existing homes.
both passive house and net zero designs require a high level of insulation and air sealing to reduce energy consumption.
zero energy homes are the ultimate energy efficient homes zero energy homes are just like any home—except better. they are regular grid-tied homes that are so air-tight, well insulated, and energy efficient that they produce as much renewable energy as they consume over the course of a year, leaving the occupants with a net zero […]
passive house is both a green building rating system for deep energy efficiency and a philosophy of how to build good buildings. even when we are not pursuing passive house certification we embed the principles in our design work. these include optimized continuous insulation, air sealed construction, high-performance windows and doors, detailing for minimal thermal bridging, and balanced energy recovery ventilation paired with high efficiency heating and cooling systems. the results of this integrated approach are ultra-low energy use, high indoor air quality, thermal comfort, acoustic comfort, and increased thermal resilience.
passive house building consulting and supplies, indoor air quality
learn how the phius zero passive building standard sets the industry standard for net zero energy design, pushing further than phius core.
this client-led project resulted in a super-smart certified passive house on a heavily shaded urban lot. they even went net zero!
we are providing information about the leed standard, standalone building and passive housing.
certified passive house window & door systems what was born out of a legal requirement for construction of buildings with low energy consumption in europe has now become a global standard and s…
passive house is a performance-based building certification that focuses on the dramatic reduction of energy use for space heating and cooling. it is a set of metrics for energy performance, a cert…
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answer (1 of 23): net zero is a flexible concept. building a home that requires no external energy for heating and cooling will be expensive. building a very energy efficient home and including a very large solar array that will produce in a year more energy than the home uses in year is much eas...
architect garth schwellenbach shares the lessons learned from a high-performance, low-impact, and zero-maintenance home with stunning views to spare.
doe zero energy ready homes: the home of the future today!