What might be more appropriate for a land based largely on German descent? Passiv Haus design concepts have caught my eye during my off-duty reading but I wonder if they are applicable to the climate of Central Texas. My recollections of Germany as a young lieutenant are of cold, wet, dreary winters and relatively mild summers. My memories of Texas – confirmed by my wife’s present day reports from Harker Heights, are that Texas is just HOT! So today, I’ll go about a great article I found from the Passive House Institute’s website.
So about “Passive House.” A simple concept, before one adds all sorts of renewable gizmos, why not just make the house uber-airtight and energy efficient: “first, use less energy” is the mantra of the Passive House Institute of the United States. I like it. But don’t for a minute think they have a monopoly on this concept. The LEED certification and the Austin Green Building rating systems certainly apply the same concepts. The Austin checklist mandating no use of skylights is a great example – why open your well-sealed home to the heat of the Texas sun? But I’d say that the PH Institute’s laser-like focus on sealed walls makes it the de facto standard-bearer in this area.
So, let’s do some looking at this great article about passive house design. The PHIUS website has a fantastic page of linked articles but this one really caught my attention because it discusses how critical that a “tight” house is to attaining this efficiency. Check out this diagram and the R-ratings!
Some things really jump out to me:
1. Pay attention to the basics of construction – find a builder who does not jump right to solar panel discussion. Start with the basics: tell me how you build your walls?
2. Airtight homes need energy recovery ventilators – why re-cool or re-heat exchanged air from the outside. Put this on my list of things to research because I think it goes hand in hand with a tight house.
3. If…and a big if here…do I need a central heating system in a well designed Central Texas house? Or can a tight house, with central A/C use passive solar and individual room solutions to attain comfort during the winter? I don’t know enough about this yet so here’s another “to research” task.
4. Windows – both their U Rating and the sealing techniques will be critically important.
I see there is a gentleman in Temple who is certified in Passiv Haus techniques and I’ll call on him when I get back to Texas. And by the way, I’m about two weeks (11 days now!) from leaving Afghanistan. My replacement has arrived, he has taken over most of my duties, and now I’m finishing up some projects for my General. Yes, I am getting excited because a year (another one!) is a long time to be away from my three girls (for those counting, that’s one wife – Jen and my two daughters).
Next topic…send your suggestions in. I’d love to hear them. All the best, Scot
So about “Passive House.” A simple concept, before one adds all sorts of renewable gizmos, why not just make the house uber-airtight and energy efficient: “first, use less energy” is the mantra of the Passive House Institute of the United States. I like it. But don’t for a minute think they have a monopoly on this concept. The LEED certification and the Austin Green Building rating systems certainly apply the same concepts. The Austin checklist mandating no use of skylights is a great example – why open your well-sealed home to the heat of the Texas sun? But I’d say that the PH Institute’s laser-like focus on sealed walls makes it the de facto standard-bearer in this area.
So, let’s do some looking at this great article about passive house design. The PHIUS website has a fantastic page of linked articles but this one really caught my attention because it discusses how critical that a “tight” house is to attaining this efficiency. Check out this diagram and the R-ratings!
Some things really jump out to me:
1. Pay attention to the basics of construction – find a builder who does not jump right to solar panel discussion. Start with the basics: tell me how you build your walls?
2. Airtight homes need energy recovery ventilators – why re-cool or re-heat exchanged air from the outside. Put this on my list of things to research because I think it goes hand in hand with a tight house.
3. If…and a big if here…do I need a central heating system in a well designed Central Texas house? Or can a tight house, with central A/C use passive solar and individual room solutions to attain comfort during the winter? I don’t know enough about this yet so here’s another “to research” task.
4. Windows – both their U Rating and the sealing techniques will be critically important.
I see there is a gentleman in Temple who is certified in Passiv Haus techniques and I’ll call on him when I get back to Texas. And by the way, I’m about two weeks (11 days now!) from leaving Afghanistan. My replacement has arrived, he has taken over most of my duties, and now I’m finishing up some projects for my General. Yes, I am getting excited because a year (another one!) is a long time to be away from my three girls (for those counting, that’s one wife – Jen and my two daughters).
Next topic…send your suggestions in. I’d love to hear them. All the best, Scot
