I think this blog post really sums up the nomenclature problem surrounding Passive House. Passive House Certified or not, I want to endeavor to design a high performance house that suits your budget. The article also touches briefly on the economics of financing an energy efficient house. I’m going this this process right now trying to find land to build my own house so I’ll let you know how the discussion is framed at the bank.
A high performance home is a “highly optimized, thermal bridge free, energy sipping marvel of modern age architecture and engineering”. The design and engineering for high performance homes is holistic act that starts from day 1 with proper siting and orientation to maximize solar gains with attention to view and privacy.
Stay tuned for a post about the economics of Passive House – and how you can try to hit the sweet spot of minimal extra costs for countless benefits including abundant daylight, large windows, no drafts, clean air, quiet interiors, and more!