Passive House: 7 Ways to Minimize Loss, Maximize Gain

Apply any of these seven Passive House principles to improve your home's energy performance.

By Carol Venolia
January/February 2011
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You can apply any of the seven Passive House principles to improve your home’s performance without going all the way; just make sure to ventilate.

1. Superinsulate. Depending on the climate, Passive Houses might have a foot or two of insulation in the roof, walls and floor (homes often have just a few inches of insulation in these areas).

2. Eliminate thermal bridges. Careful detailing prevents heat from moving through edges, corners, connections and penetrations in the envelope.

3. Make it airtight. The entire building envelope must be airtight to avoid heat transfer and minimize drafts.

4. Use energy- or heat-recovery ventilation. Ventilation equipment provides fresh air and circulation with minimal energy waste.

5. Use high-performance windows and doors. Windows and doors that greatly reduce heat flow virtually eliminate cold winter drafts and cut way back on summer heat gain.

6. Optimize heat gains. A Passive House consultant can predict and balance heat from the sun and internal sources (cooking, lighting, etc.) and prescribe appropriate orientation and window placement for maximum comfort with minimal energy use.

7. Model energy gains and losses. The Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) is a complex energy-modeling tool trained consultants use to assess various combinations of insulation, windows, wall types, airtightness, ventilation systems and other components to create an optimal system for a given climate and budget.

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  • Martha R. Zimiles 2/10/2011 11:16:34 AM

    I have been living in a house built in 1980 that my husband and I designed, with the technical help of an energy efficiency engineer, in response to the oil crisis of the 70's. We got the message that the black gold would run out and leave us in a crisis before long.

    I could write volumes about our adventures and misadventures, about the design flaws of the building and the special conditions of our site,and what we would and would not do again. 30 years ago some of the technology was not very developed.

    In this comment I will only speak about the experience of living with a lot of passive solar exposure. Another time I may write about solar hot water linked to radiant floors linked to a wood burning furnace, plus green house spaces, etc. etc., all of which we experimented with in one house.

    IF you are going passive you MUST hire a true expert on ventilation, glazing materials, overhangs and window covering, otherwise you will alternatively roast and freeze! Yes, we do live on a windy mountain top in the North East, but the following would be true everywhere that gets cold at night.
    Since we had too much thermal mass in our radiant floor the fluctuation problem was compounded by its slow response. The only way to cope with was to install insulating shades which, of course, had to be raised and lowered by us. That might mean that we went out on a bright sunny day, the temp would drop, the wind come up, we might accept a spontaneous dinner invitation or get held up and come back at night to a house with all the fenestration exposed for hours and the floor slow to heat up. We would, still do, rush around the house closing up shades and drapes ( lined of course)and then huddle around the freshly lit wood stove or grab cats and head for the eiderdowns.

    I know there are devices that are temp sensitive that will raise and lower your shades in your absence, but with so many windows and cost of those things, which, granted I haven't priced in years, and with the

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