Each house is a system, and building and operating that “system” impacts our environment.
There is much we can do to lessen the negative effects that standard construction methods and lifestyle patterns have on our environment. The BENEFIT to you as owners and occupants of these better homes will be lower operating costs and improved personal comfort and health. In determining the energy efficiency of a building, a “one-size-fits-all” approach is unsuitable. Different occupants, sites and budgets demand different solutions. In our eyes, there are really three different “levels” of sustainable building:
1. “Pretty Good House.”
This route takes a building well beyond code minimum insulation and airtightness layers, and establishes clear goals for different components of the assembly. However, it does so with engaging in comprehensive thermal modelling, design alterations, or substantially raising the budget. For more complete information on the “Pretty Good House” approach, click here.
2. Passive House.
“Passive House” is actually an international energy efficiency program, recognized as having the most stringent energy reduction requirements for buildings in the world. This standard employs precise and computer modeling and meticulous construction detailing in order to predict and verify the energy demands of a building, resulting in the greatest comfort possible to its occupants, with extremely low energy consumption. For a fuller understanding of Passive Houses, click here.
3. Net Zero House.
This path is the ultimate in energy reduction. In fact, this approach results in a building which actually creates all of the energy that it uses. While there are different definitions and approaches, all Net Zero buildings have very energy efficient envelopes, have improved comfort qualities, and employ active technology to create electricity to offset usage on site. For a good understanding of Net Zero houses, click here.
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