Very Green Homes- “Passive House&#...

This is another great article outlining what Passive House is… it even mentions Dan Whitmore’s house in Seattle, the first Passive House currently being constructed in Washington state. Passive House Arrives in North America:  Could It Revolutionize the Way We Build? Full Story from Environmental Building News Executive Summary Originating in Germany twenty years ago and drawing inspiration from the superinsulation and passive solar movements in North America in the late 1970s, Passive House has migrated across the Atlantic. To date, about a dozen...

Green Homes in Olympia-Permit Friendly...

Reposted from Passive House Northwest Blog, posted by Albert Rooks 5.26.10 Passive House could move to the head of the line in Thurston County WA. Thanks to a Federal Grant, Certified Passive House Consultant Tessa Smith, and a host of others, along with Thurston County, There is a draft document circulating Thurston County that clears the way for Passive House and other green building method permit applications. The document recognizes Passive House by name. If adopted, the documents states: “This policy sets forth the process and procedures in reviewing a ...

Passive House Upfront Costs & Payba...

Ultra- Energy Efficient Home-Passive House We get loads of questions about Passive House, but the two bottom line biggies are: How affordable is the upgrade to design to the Passive House standard? What is the typical payback period? The question of money, and fortunately the strongest selling point of the Passive House  approach! As for affordability, the two main aspects that must be considered are the upfront construction costs and the operating costs. The upfront costs can be fairly modest ranging from 5% to 10% on average. In a Passive House there are no...

Passive House Video...

This is a great little video feature by CNN about a Swedish Passive House and what it’s like to live in this ultra efficient...

Brooklyn Cohousing Project-Passive House...

Another well written Passive House article worthy of a post. This article is written by Ken Levenson who is an architect in Brooklyn, NY. His client, the Brooklyn Cohousing group,  chose Passive House design over other ‘green’ building standards for their project. The entire article can be read here. Below is an excerpt to whet your appetite: Passive House Retrofit Characteristics: Brooklyn Cohousing August 21st, 2009 “I recently have undertaken a building project with Brooklyn Cohousing following Passive House standards. My clients decided to...

Passive House-Letter to the Editor...

A few weeks ago John Dodge of the Olympian wrote a great article introducing the concepts of Passive House. I subsequently noticed a few comments on-line that prompted this ‘letter to the editor’ as a way to clarify a few points about the Passive House Standard. Dear Editor- It was strikingly dramatic for me to read John Dodge’s recent article about the Passive House movement, and even more poignant to consider that The Olympian’s readership is becoming more keenly aware of this amazing approach to energy efficient homes.  I am Tessa Smith, Certified...

Home Energy Efficiency Program...

reprinted from the Olympian Incentives to repair that leaky home Resources: Program examines house’s efficiency JOHN DODGE; Staff writer | • Published June 01, 2010 Olympia – Eli and Molly Levitt were among the first homeowners in Thurston County to sign up for a program to help area residents and businesses use energy wisely. When the couple bought a 1913 home nearly two years ago on Wilson Street in Olympia, they knew it wasn’t the most energy-efficient home around. They insulated the attic and basement, installed compact fluorescent ...