Publication Date:
Mon, 2010-10-11 14:17
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The nation’s first Passive House retrofit was completed this week in California, according to a report [1] 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 [2] 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.
