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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple style='word-wrap: break-word;-webkit-nbsp-mode: space;-webkit-line-break: after-white-space'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Doh! I KNEW I was missing a mandatory! So there’s four, not three. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>John, maybe I’ve been brainwashed by the Germans, but I kinda like that 0.6 ACH50. According to the good Dr. Feist at that level of air tightness you won’t get any hidden condensation problems (don’t ask me why, I just believe everything I hear). My own place meets R-2000’s 1.5 ACH50, yet in the last cold snap I discovered several frost balls on the outside of the foamboard (which would soon be hidden behind siding) where I’ve got some small air leaks. We’ve got a tract builder here in Ottawa who has built hundreds of homes in a row below 1.5 ACH50, so I don’t think it’s unreasonable to shoot for better on a custom green home.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>The “sophisticated computer program” we’ve been using for R-2000 since 1983 actually doesn’t work that well for high performance houses beyond the current R-2000 / ERS 80, there’s going to be real problems getting them to NRCan’s magical ERS 86 or 87 in the next version of R-2000 without using heat pumps everywhere. HOT2K just isn’t that good at modeling great envelopes right now. It’s also a “black box” where we just have to accept the results are accurately calculated, whereas the PHPP Excel spreadsheet allows you to see what’s going on – not that it does a guy like me any good to know the formulas, but at least it’s there for smarter people than me to quibble over.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>The Net Zero homes use exorbitantly expensive renewable energy systems to push them to zero, whereas in my humble opinion if they’re not up around Passive House for their building envelope before they go for renewable then they’re just buying energy to waste, at a lot higher cost than from the grid or pipeline. Talk about a science experiment… And if your total annual energy bill is under $1000 because you built a true energy efficient home, then putting $25,000 worth of PV on the roof seems like just a political statement, since those PV panels will be obsolete long before they pay for themselves (notwithstanding taxpayers covering the cost through incentive programs). But I really do appreciate your insights into where the tradeoffs should be in terms of cost, energy savings and carbon emissions, it’s a conversation well worth continuing. Passive House may not be the answer to everything, but I think it’s better than any of the alternatives currently available.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>But John, I really do have to agree with you about one thing. Mike Holmes is definitely not someone you want promoting anything to professional builders or renovators! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Ross<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> jfstraube [mailto:jfstraube@gmail.com] <br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, January 25, 2011 4:25 PM<br><b>To:</b> relliott@homesol.ca; Green Building<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Greenbuilding] first certified Passive House in Canada<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>I think it is clear that you can build a PassivHaus standard home anywere. The question is, should you? More nuanced, the question is, "is the PH standard the optimal home for the location and purpose envisaged".<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>CMHC has supported the construction of a whole bunch of Net Zero Energy houses across Canada, a more stringent energy standard than PH. This does not mean it is a good idea. However, the design teams are, under the target of Net Zero, allowed to trade off the cost of insulation, the cost of airtightness, and the cost of generation for their specific building and the climate in which it is built. PH is more dogmatic.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>I really like PHPP, but it is an Excel spreadsheet, not magic. R2000 home builders have been required to use a more sophisticated computer program and blower door test to verify their energy use compliance since forever (OK, 20 years). They just have not set sufficiently low targets. I strongly agree that if PH can convince people to use a model to predict energy use and do a blower door test to confirm airtightness, then it will be a huge benefit. But one does not need to follow some of the dogmatic rules, like 0.6@50, to get a durable, healthy, afforable, and low energy building. There are numerous other tried and true methods. PH is just one set of numbers that one group chose. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>PS The PH standard DEFINITELY has a requirement of 0.6 ACH@50 Pa. The 10% overheating is rarely listed. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>See for example Wikipeadia<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_house#Requirements">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_house#Requirements</a><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>and<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Passive House USA<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.passivehouse.us/passiveHouse/PassiveHouseInfo.html">http://www.passivehouse.us/passiveHouse/PassiveHouseInfo.html</a><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>PSS If Mike Holmes is behind it, then PH just dropped in my estimation. Pop culture, yes, science and fact, NOT!<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>