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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Sorry that I can’t provide any insight to Passive House in a mild climate like San Francisco, but I thought this group may be interested to know the first Passive House in Canada was certified in Ottawa on Nov. 22. Rather than reprint the whole press release here, you can read it at <a href="http://www.homesolbuildingsolutions.com/storage/Canada%27s%20First%20Passive%20House%2025Jan2011.pdf">http://www.homesolbuildingsolutions.com/storage/Canada%27s%20First%20Passive%20House%2025Jan2011.pdf</a> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>My own take on Passive House is that it makes complete sense pretty much everywhere. Even if a house can’t or doesn’t want to meet the rather rigorous energy standard, the PHPP modeling process provides an excellent insight into the performance of the building anyway. As you can see from the press release, Passive House doesn’t need to be a “science project”, just good sustainable design. Since there are Passive Houses being built as far north as Fairbanks, Alaska (twice as cold as Ottawa), and also in hot, humid climates like Atlanta, it appears this standard has widespread applicability. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Mike Holmes just called Passive House “an up & coming design standard ” – how more mainstream popular culture can you get?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Although we won’t see tract builders embracing PH any time soon, I do believe there are a lot of custom builders and homebuyers who have been just waiting for something like this. What’s not to like about getting a 90% reduction in energy costs with less than a 10% upgrade cost?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>There’s a pile of misinformation out there about Passive House, so just to set the record straight, there’s only three mandatory requirements: 1) less than 15 kWhrs / m2 / yr. heating or cooling load, 2) less than 120 kWhrs / m2 / yr. total energy load, and 3) less than 10% overheating. Anything else you’ve heard may be recommended best practices but are not mandatory.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><i><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#1B366E'>Ross Elliott </span></i><i><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#1B366E'>LEED-AP, CPHP, RASDT, RHSD</span></i><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><i><span style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#1B366E'>President</span></i><span style='font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><a href="http://www.homesol.ca/"><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:windowtext;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=146 height=46 id="Picture_x0020_0" src="cid:image003.jpg@01CBBCA7.8FF72450" alt=image001.jpg></span></a><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#1B366E'>83 Little Bridge Street, Suite 109</span><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#1B366E'>PO Box 1133, Almonte, ON K0A 1A0</span><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#1B366E'>(613) 278-0467 / (877) 278-0467</span><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#1B366E'>Fax (613) 963-0156</span><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT'><a href="http://www.homesol.ca/"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:blue;text-decoration:none'>www.homesol.ca</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#1B366E'> </span><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#1B366E'>CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: All information contained herein is for the exclusive and confidential use of the intended recipient. If you are not the intended recipient, please do not read, distribute, share or take action in reliance upon this message. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and promptly delete this message and its attachments from your computer system.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>