'Passive housing' is a construction concept and building standard that is truly energy efficient, comfortable, affordable and ecological at the same time!
Passive homes and buildings can (and do) look very much like regular homes and buildings.
The need to heat or cool the interior of a passive building is almost completely eliminated by implementing a few techniques.
The passive home prioritizes these 5 principles:
No loss insulation
Thermal bridge free
Excellent windows, glazing, orientation
Air tight
Air recovery ventilation system
By applying these 5 principles the heating/cooling is 90% improved on new buildings and 85% improved on existing buildings.
Situating your home to be aligned with the sun (when possible) to take advantage of the suns warming and cooling aspects during the day will increase the passivity by 20%.
That, coupled with a natural ventilation solution, often means you may never have to use power at all when adjusting for indoor air quality and comfort.
Then, if you are using solar or wind for power, you are living in a carbon neutral home and more than likely will be able to take advantage of the IRA tax benefits.
Of course, the materials that you use to build the house are important as well. If you are building new, apply the passive home principles, but also build with sustainable materials.
The one-way shipping containers we use at S.I. Container Builds are a waste product. We are reusing a building structure that would otherwise be landfilled.
We work with you to determine the best, sustainable materials for the interior build: bamboo woods, solar power, and choosing reduced power heating and cooling systems like a mini-split are great alternatives that we offer.
Contact us to discuss your home or community plans, IRA tax credits, and green building techniques.
More information on Passive Homes:
In-depth article on passive homes linked here.
Example of exotic passive homes being built in Taos NM linked here.