1. Eco Houses of Vermont, LLC
Passive house
A Quick Path to the Comprehensive Energy Plan’s Goals
Presented by:
Chris West
Certified Passive House Consultant
President, PHAUS Vt
Chair, HBRANV Green Council
Certified Green Professional
Eco Houses of Vermont, LLC

2. Thanks to Margaret Cheney
Moving the political agenda toward super energy efficient buildings
Pushing for Thermal Energy Taskforce legislation
Supporting RBES Code Compliance with teeth
We need to all support Margaret and other politicians who are working on this issue!

3. Comprehensive Energy Plan
Recommends that 100% of new homes built in 2030 be Net Zero Houses.
30% of all new homes built to Net Zero by 2020.

4. Net Zero Goal: Two paths
Big Leaky House
40+ panels to get to Net Zero

5. Net Zero Goal and PH +
Reasonable Sized PH
A few PV panels

6. Home Building Energy Triangle
It’s the Recycling Triangle for Home Energy
1st Reduce Load
3rd Use fossil fuels sparingly if needed
2nd Use as many as you can renewables

7. Passive House: I’ve heard of that.
One of the most sighted standards in the US
Steadily gaining traction in the Building Industry as the Gold Standard for energy efficiency
Regularly sited in:
Journal of Light Construction
Green Building Advisor
DoE: Energy Star and Building America
BBbD presentations
Even ppl who don’t like it reference it!

8. PH: What is this mystical beast?
Uses the apex of Building Science
Developed in the 1990’s by Wolfgang Feist in Germany
Imported to the us in 2005
Spreading across the country and Vermont
Influencing Building Standards in Vt and the US

9. How does it relate to other programs?
Energy Efficient Housing Concepts in the US:
Vermont Energy Code (RBES): required for all new construction
Energy Star 3.0: DoE Program (30% more efficient than Code)
Building America: DoE super energy savings Program (15% better than EStar)
Passive House: 90% more efficient than Code
70% more efficient than Energy Star
55% more efficient than Building America
Costs only max. of 15% more to build

10. Energy Usage Comparison

11. How does Passive House get there?

12. Passive House Energy Standard
Heating Load (Site): 4.75 kBTU/SF/YR
Cooling Load (Site): 4.75 kBTU/SF/YR
Total Energy Demand (Source): 38 kBTU/SF/YR
Air Tightness: .6 50pa

13. Passive House Concept Controlling Heat Loss: Insulation R58 WALLS
R90 CEILING
R60 SLAB
WINDOWS
High Performance
U value 0.16
High Solar Heat Gain

14. Passive House Concept
Controlling Heat Loss: Eliminate Thermal Bridging

15. Passive House Concept Controlling Heat Loss: Airtight Envelope
ACH50
(Vermont Energy Code = 4 ACH50)

16. Passive House Concept
Capturing Heat Gains: People

17. Passive House Concept
Capturing Heat Gains: Solar Heat Gains

18. Passive House Concept
Controlling Gains Seasonally: Orientation and Windows

19. Passive House Concept
Providing Fresh Air: High Efficiency Heat Recovery Ventilation

20. Passive House Concept
Integrating all of these elements into one house

21. Passive House Concept High Efficiency Heat Recovery Ventilation
0.75 w/cfm or less
Triple glazed windows with thermally broken frames
R-value of 7.1 or better
Use materials with low embodied energy
Foams only where you must
Short runs for DHW
Compact building designs easier to hit PH Standard

22. Passive House Results
90% reduction in heating and cooling loads when compared to Code
70%-80% reduction in total energy demand
Superior indoor air quality
Occupant comfort
Lower annual energy costs
Smaller carbon footprint

23. People say PH is expensive
Results from actual houses in Vermont:
Higher construction costs (10% to 15%)
Doesn’t cost more! Monthly savings from Day 1.
Much higher quality construction means more durable and therefore a better value over time.

24. What are we talking about?
What is the payback on a marble counter top?

25. Passive House Costs
Costs up to 15% more to build than conventional construction
Saves 90% on Heating and Cooling Bills

26. Cost Analysis

27. Leading the change in building
Just by being there Passive House has:
Set the bar higher for all building standards
Taught builders and architects techniques that can be incorporated in “less” than Passive House projects
Shown that the “too much” argument doesn’t float if monthly out of pocket is same!
Given legislatures data on applying modern building science in actual homes

28. Vermont Case Study: HfH Charlotte
1,050 sq. feet interior space

29. Vermont Case Study: HfH Charlotte

30. Vermont Case Study: HfH Charlotte

31. Vermont Case Study: HfH Charlotte

32. Vermont Case Study: Mechanicals

33. Vermont Case Study: Sensor Data

34. Vermont Case Study: HVR Data

35. Vermont Case Study: Monthly Utility Bills
Includes Heating, Hot Water, Cooking, Lighting and all appliances.

36. Passive House Second Home

37. Passive House Second Home Performance

38. Passive House Performance Comparison to Energy Star

39. State of PH in Vermont First PH in Vt finished 2011
Current PH in Vt: 14
6 certified
3 almost PH’s (failed ACH50)
2 in design phase
1 ‘almost’ PH
More in the works!

40. What Do Passive Houses Look Like?

41. What Do Passive Houses Look Like?

42. What Do Passive Houses Look Like?

43. What Do Passive Houses Look Like?

44. What Do Passive Houses Look Like?

45. Conclusion Passive House High quality home
Healthier living environment
Slightly more expensive to build
Payback in 3 – 7 years (depending on price rise)
Monthly cost is the same from day one!
90% cheaper to live in (heating/cooling bills)
High resale value expected
Zero energy home easily attainable with PH

46. Visit a Passive House International Passive House Days