Passive house construction has gained traction in Europe, but has only recently started to get noticed in the United States. Writer Alex Ulam discusses the emergence of this design approach as well as its implications for use in the coming years.
"This winter was one of the coldest on record in New York City, and many property owners saw major spikes in their energy bills. However, thanks to passive house technology and a glazed glass south-facing façade, the occupants of a recently retrofitted townhouse in Park Slope, Brooklyn, were able to leave the heat off even when temperatures outside fell below zero. According to the architect, the building’s cooling and heating systems consumed less than a fifth of the energy needed to keep neighboring townhouses at a comfortable temperature."
FULL STORY: Passive house: A road map for radically reducing energy consumption?
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