What About Passive Buildings?
By Bill Fisher
The passive system uses an extremely tight building envelope that is highly insulated. We used to call this the “thermos bottle” concept. Mechanical equipment then controls air coming into the building, heating, cooling, or cleaning it. Heat from air leaving the building is captured by equipment and reused. Passive houses tend to be a lot more expensive than the type we design for the California coast. First of all, the windows required in passive houses need to be especially tight, of a type not general available in America. The special equipment to condition the air and capture waste heat is also quite expensive. Moisture created inside the house, from cooking, showers, laundry, and just by people breathing can build up and cause mold if not very carefully controlled.
Read More 