[Greenbuilding] passive house in NY

[Corwyn]

On 10/27/2011 6:52 AM, Frank Tettemer wrote:
> I expect that most of their heating bill goes to heating the air Above
> their heads.

Nope.  Heating air is amazingly easy.  A 5 minute shower has enough 
energy to heat the air in a house by 8 degrees.  The trouble comes 
because in most houses you are having to do that multiple times each hour.

I like the feeling of a "soaring ceiling" but in my house,
> that means an elevated peak over the dining table of 11'-6" only. I know
> that if that house is well insulated, then heat stratification probably
> won't occur to a huge degree, but still ...

I have never noticed a stratification in my house greater than 5 F 
degrees, and that is 25' (due to being open plan).
>
> Reuben said:
> Well, I don't know.
> I just figured that if someone spends as much money as that house
> appears to have cost on a _Passive House_ that _exceeds the standards_
> and still ends up using about as much as my family uses in my crummy
> shack then that seems, well, odd.

The cost of that house is NOT in meeting the PH standards.  There is a 
new Passive House being built near me, for a little over $200,000 
including septic, land, and solar panels.    I expect I will write about 
it once it is finished and there is some data.

$400/year is pretty cheap.  The average around here for heating alone is 
over $3000.  Many people are paying more than $400 for non-heating energy.

I was most disappointed by the claim that it took two years to design. 
That just sounds like an architect padding his fees to me.  Passive 
house does NOT require that.  Nor am I a huge fan of walls of glass, it 
just doesn't leave any easy way of controlling the heat through them.

Thank You Kindly,

Corwyn

-- 
Topher Belknap
Green Fret Consulting
Kermit didn't know the half of it...
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