First Passive House Retrofit in Nation Complete

The nation’s first Passive House retrofit was completed this week in California, according to a report by Jetson Green. The single-family residence, which uses the same amount of energy as a standard hair dryer, was designed by Lail Design Group and constructed by Solar Knights Construction.

Passive Houses reduce heating consumption to 10 percent that of standard homes, according to the Passive House Institute U.S. This 1960s 2,400-square-foot home has no heating or cooling unit. It fulfills heating and cooling needs with insulation, triple-glazed windows, airtight construction, passive solar gain and an energy recovery ventilation system. The yard has no lawn requiring lots of watering—instead it features native plants and grasses irrigated with a drip system.

The homeowners plan to open the house for tours Oct. 23 and 24, when the builder, designer and architect will be available to answer questions.