Hill House

We finally have bids on several options for mechanical systems…everything ranging from in-floor radiant to forced air.  We probably won’t choose one for a little while, but at least we have the information.  Here goes:

Option 1 – Hydronic Radiant  $45,400:

$17,320 = tubes, manifolds, thermostats and tankless water heater

$22,000 = warmbard material only

$3,300 = A.O. Smith Vortex high efficiency water heater for domestic water

$2,870 = Lifebreath HRV installed

This includes in-floor hydronic radian system in warmboard.  Due to weight, we cannot use gypcrete.  We did consider some less technical installation methods, such as stapling the hydronic tubes to the underside of the flooring, but in our case, we think the decreased inefficiency isn’t worth it.  This does not include any cooling if it should be needed in the future, nor a means to easily add cooling

Option 2 – Mini-split ductless heat pump $32,550:

$26,380 = Fujitsu 3 heat pumps, and 9 interior fan coils

$3,300 = A.O. Smith Vortex high efficiency water heater for domestic water

$2,870 = Lifebreath HRV installed

This is the most efficient system we have priced out.  On the plus side, it’s efficient, doesn’t use ducts and can heat and cool.  On the negative side, we have fan coils to look at (even though a couple of them are concealed), and during the very coldest and hottest extremes, the system may have a hard time keeping up.  The higher price may be justifiable with the energy efficiency over time, especially if we can incorporate solar.

Option 3 – Unico high velocity system w/mini split ductless for the ADU $29,175:

$25,875 = Unico high velocity running off SEER 13 heat pump by Ruud, Daikin mini-split pump w/2 fan coils, HRV

$3,300 = A.O. Smith Vortex high efficiency water heater for domestic water

So far, this option feels the most appealing.  We have both heating and cooling.  The design of the house won’t be compromised by ducts.  The ADU gets it’s own efficient heat pump and the high velocity system is extremely quite and feels much more comfortable than traditional forced air.

Option 4 – Traditional forced air $23,960:

$20,660 = gas furnace, standard programable thermostats, HRV and air filter for the HRV

$3,300 = A.O. Smith Vortex high efficiency water heater for domestic water

While this is a much less expensive options, there are two major drawbacks.  Firstly, we haven’t designed the house with soffits for venting, nor do we want to change the design to accommodate them.  Secondly, it’s forced air which is not what we were hoping for.  This does not include cooling, but an AC unit can easily be added in the future.

All of these options also include the necessary bath/laundry/kitchen venting and gas hook ups.  We have a lot of time to decide which system we’ll go with, but please feel free to add comments on what you think is best.  I’ve learned when it comes to the mechanical system, there is hardly ever a ‘golden’ answer…usually a few good choices and a few bad choices.

If you’ve been following this blog, you know that we have received a grant from the City of Portland for our eco roof.  All three levels of the house have their own eco roofs in addition to the main roof.  We met today with our very talented landscape architecture firm, 2.ink Studio. They are a great fit for us as they are open to doing something that is out of the ordinary – maybe something that hasn’t been done before – and their graphic eye to modern design works well with our aesthetics.

Our roof is completely visible from our neighbors deck behind our lot.  They’ve expressed concern with what they’ll be looking at visually.  Because of the visibility factor, we really want to do something out of the box that is visually stunning, but still performs the functions of a typical eco-roof.  2.ink Studio has done a great first round pass at design and we’re really excited to hopefully have something electronic to post after we meet with them next.

Also – to follow up on the HVAC design.  The reality of a forced air system seems to be looming over us.  To aid in our informative decision process, we’ve decided to also get pricing on a Unico high velocity forced air system.  I’ve used this system in the past and it works great for modern architecture where duct runs can potentially alter design.  The system relies on a main trunk duct with multiple 2″ flexible ducts extending from the trunk.  This allows for installations without the need to drop soffits for ducting.  It also blows much more quietly and efficiently than a traditional ducted system, plus it can run off a heat pump, electric furnace, or can be coupled with your domestic hot water of all things.  I’ll keep you posted on all bids when I have them in hand.

Working through all the bids and negotiating with subs has certainly taken some time.  On top of this, our checksheets from the City of Portland for Structural and Soils were fairly lengthy.  The architectural set of drawings referred to the structural set in many cases.  The structural set then referenced the Geotechnical Engineer’s report.  The City didn’t like this at all.  They wanted all the Geotechnical information shown in the drawing set.  Their argument is they don’t think a sub contractor would look in a report.  Maybe slightly picky, but makes sense.  We ended up making a new set of ‘Geotechnical’ drawings to add into our overall set….should work.  We’ll submit them next week and see what happens.

In the mean time, we’ve been looking into the multitude of heating and cooling options.  To get into some basic costs, the Warmboard floor sheathing we have specified in the house runs $22,000 (typical plywood sheathing is $3,000).  This price includes a ‘trade’ discount, which is nice.  On top of this, we have a radiant system that will run $15,000 – $20,000 for pumps, tubes and manifolds, plus water heating equipment (boiler, tankless or tank heater) at another $2,000 – $6,000 depending on the equipment.  On top of this, we have very minimal insulation bids at $25,000 for full perimeter 1 1/2″ flash and batt to $35,000 for 3″ flash and batt.  Flash and batt refers to a ‘flash’ pass of spray foam, followed by a less expensive batt or blown in insulation for the remainder of the wall cavity.  My theory has always been to spend your money on a tight, well insulated building envelope and spend less on smaller, more efficient HVAC equipment that will use less energy during the life of the building.  Keep in mind, we are building 8″ thick walls and 12″ deep roof diaphragm that needs to be completely filled with insulation.  I did stray from my theory towards a more expensive and luxurious heating system that may cost up to $48,000 to install.  In addition, because you don’t turn a radiant system off, you’re wasting energy while you’re away from the house during the day.  A humbling exercise.  We have determined our radiant system to be a fantastically wonderful luxury.

At the moment, we are getting bids on three systems:

1. hydronic radiant heat with a gas fired AO Smith Vertex water heater and another for domestic water

2. Fujitsu mini split ductless heat pump for heat / cooling, Vertex water heater for domestic water

3. Fujitsu split ducted heat pump for heat / cooling, Vortex water heater for domestic water.

Why not a tankless water heater?  With the addition of the ADU in the building, we have a potential of 3 showers and 2 dishwashers running at the same time.  This load if fairly difficult for even the best tankless to keep up with.  Using a dishwasher with an internal water heater can help, but three showers at once is still tough to manage.  We’re working with EcoHeat on pricing.  We’ve found them to be extremely professional, knowledgeable and competitively priced.

Well – not totally free, but we received word yesterday that we were awarded the total grant amount available for ecoroof’s of $5 per s.f.  This funding is available to subsidize the cost of design and installation of ecoroofs in Portland.  Not only did we receive full funding for our house, but two other projects we are working on, 14 house and Twigg residence both received full funding as well.  Our three projects represented 10% of the total applicants.

Gregg pendant light by Foscarini

As we progress with our drawing set, I thought it would be helpful to dedicate some posts to lighting, plumbing fixtures, materials and appliances.  We’ll focus on lighting for this post.

Generally, we do our best to make sure the lighting source (bulb) is never in view.  By doing so, more attention is focused on surfaces, textures and the general mood, and less attention is driven at a glaring light bulb.  We also try to add dimmers to as many fixtures as possible.  Not only does this allow full control of the lighting, it also extends the bulbs life span.  You will also notice, if you’re lights are on dimmers, rarely do you have them turned up all the way…a nice ‘green’ bonus.

As with most of our projects, we have a budget to adhere too.  We generally achieve this a number of ways.  Firstly, we purchase as many of them as possible ourselves (this includes dimmer switches), which avoids an electricians mark up.  Conversely, this means we ‘own’ any problems with the fixture, but this is a small price for us to pay.  Another way to control costs find the least expensive ‘typical’ fixtures as possible.  For instance, ther are thousands of companies that make a 4″ recessed can light.  Many of them are really expensive, many of them are not so expensive but are still comparable and there are a few that aren’t worth the money.  It’s worth it to know the difference.  We then couple these inexpensive fixtures with some ‘art’ pieces, such as the Gregg pendant in the image above from Foscarini.

rope light

Rope light is a great inexpensive way to add depth and focus to your lighting.  It can generally be used both indoors and out and the bulbs can last 35,000 hrs.  It’s not as bright as a cove light, but just bright enough to was across a set of stairs or accentuate a floating wall mounted cabinet.

xenon task light

Xenon lights (sometimes referred to as Festoon) are another great way to add indirect task lighting.  Xenon bulbs offer superior light quality and extremely long life.  They are dimmable and suitable for under cabinet task light and light coves.  Both the above options vary in price but can be found reasonably inexpensively at Affordable Quality Lighting.

Next is the most common light fixture – the recessed cans.  These come in a few verities: IC (can touch insulation) and Non-IC (cannot come into contact with insulation).  As well as line voltage (incandescent) or low voltage, which typically are more expensive because they have a transformer that steps down the power before it reaches the fixture.  We generally do our best to stay away from anything larger than 4″.  We’ve found a 4″ low voltage can light on a dimmer with an MR16 bulb and a clear alzak (chrome) adjustable trim to be the best option in terms of quality of light, control of light and value.  The bulbs last for years with a dimmer switch and the light rendition of a halogen bulb is about as good as you can get.  There are thousands of options out there…ranging in price from about $30 to several hundred dollars.

econolight 4" recessed can

The fixture to the right is about the cheapest one we’ve found.  At $23.90 for the housing, it’s hard to beat.  The clear alzak trim is only $3.80 more…this is less expensive than home depot.  The one downside is this company, Econolight, doesn’t offer an adjustable trim.  There are other options out there….larger sizes, as well as both compact fluorescent and LED.  Fluorescents typically don’t dim well and the nature of the bulb doesn’t focus lighting in one direction.  LED’s are out there but are much more expensive up front and I’m not sure the level of control is quite there yet.  On the higher end there are products like this one from RSA.  The fixture is 4″ square, offers a variety of bulb adjustment, is offered in both a magnetic and electronic transformer, and is 100% trimless.  You install this fixture right after drywall is hung and they mud up to the fixture so it appears as a square in the ceiling.

RSA square trimless recessed light

So far, we haven’t talked about fluorescent fixtures.  This is a tricky subject to get into.  There are strong arguments regarding the environmental impacts of mercury from the bulbs, but on the other hand, they use very little energy and burn very cool temperature wise.  Our strategy is to use them in coves where you can’t seem them in places that we don’t feel we need to dim them.  There are some options available that are dimmable and with the right bulb they actually do a great job dimming, but the dimmable ballasts are usually $150 or so per ballast – which puts this option out of our budget for most of the general fluorescent lighting.  There are some decent high output bulbs that are dimmable in pendant fixtures.  We’ve used this fixture before (see the Douglass residence on our web site).  This one, by

Artemide 2.5 HO T5

Artemide is one of our favorites for task lighting a kitchen island or even over a dining table.  It’s availible in both up and down light, can be dimmed and is also availible with halogen bulbs.  We’re using a version of this fixture over both kitchen islands in our SIPs house.

Insulation!  I’m always trying to stay on top of what’s out there.  I stumbled across a web site that lists all different types of insulation and their pros and cons.  While it’s certainly not the bible, it gives a rough idea of what all the products can do – click here.  There are many different brands and varieties of each type, but at least this information might help you narrow down your choices quickly before you dive into specifics.

If you have the time to read it how…here is a summary of insulation:

Batt or Roll Insulation
Alias(s): Fiberglass, fiberglass batts, batts, “the pink stuff”
R-value per Inch: Approx – 3.2
Weaknesses: Not very air tight and is therefore subject to air movement around the batts. It has low r-value per inch in narrow cavities. Fibers can lead to poor indoor air quality (rare). The brands that contain formaldehyde off gas over time. It itches like crazy during install. It is nesting material for rodents.
Alias(s): High density fiberglass
R-value per inch: 3.6 – 4
Weaknesses: Not very air tight and is therefore subject to air movement around the batts, It has low r-value per inch in narrow cavities. Fibers can lead to poor in door air quality (rare), itches like crazy during install.

Alias(s): Recycled denim, blue jean insulation, recycled cotton
R-value per inch: 3.4 – 3.8
Weaknesses: Expensive. Not very air tight. Subject to air movement around and through the batts, It has low r-value per inch in narrow cavities. Will absorb moisture and suffer damage if wet. Not available everywhere. It is nesting material for rodents. Batts are not sized for standard construction and are difficult to cut.

Alias(s): Cotton batts, cotton insulation
R-value per inch: 3.4 – 3.8
Weaknesses: Not very air tight and is therefore subject to air movement around the batts. It has low r-value per inch in narrow cavities. Will absorb moisture and suffer damage if wet. It is nesting material for rodents.

Alias(s): Sheep’s wool batts, sheep’s wool
R-value per inch: Approx – 3.5
Weaknesses: Not very air tight and is therefore subject to air movement around the batts. It has low r-value per inch in narrow cavities. Will absorb moisture and suffer damage if wet. Not fully tested by time and ASTM. Not widely available. Expensive compared to other batt products. It is subject to moth damage if not properly treated.

Alias(s): Mineral wool batts, mineral wool, rock wool, slag wool
R-value per inch: Approx – 3.7
Weaknesses: Not very air tight and is therefore subject to air movement around the batts, Not widely available. Fibers can cause indoor air quality problems (rare), and it’s itchy to install.

Loose Fill or Blown Insulation
Alias(s): Cellulose, recycled paper insulation, newsprint insulation
R-value per inch: Approx – 3.5
Weaknesses: Not very air tight, air can flow through the insulation especially when coverage is light. Fibers can cause indoor air quality problems (rare). Good nesting material for rodents. Once wet it is permanently damaged. It does not dry quickly. Metal corrosion problems have been attributed to boric acid (fire resistant chemicals) leaching out of wet cellulose.
Alias(s): Fiberglass, blown in fiberglass, blown in blankets.
R-value per inch: 2.8 – 3
Weaknesses: Not very air tight. Air can flow through the insulation especially when coverage is light. Fibers can cause indoor air quality problems (rare). Itchy to install. Good nesting material for rodents. The brands that contain formaldehyde off-gas over time.

Alias(s): Cotton, blown in cotton, blown in blankets
R-value per Inch: Approx – 3
Weaknesses: Not very air tight. Air can flow through the insulation especially when coverage is light. Good nesting material for rodents. If wet it is permanently damaged. It does not dry quickly.

Alias(s): Blown in batts, BIBs, blown fiber with binder
R-value per Inch: 3.5 – 4
Weaknesses: Not DIY friendly

Alias(s): Mineral wool, rock wool, slag wool
R-value per Inch: Approx – 2.8
Weaknesses: Not very air tight. Air can flow through the insulation especially when coverage is light. Not available everywhere. Fibers can cause indoor air quality problems (rare). Itchy to install.

Alias(s): Vermiculite
R-value per Inch: Approx – 2
Weaknesses: Not very air tight. Air can flow through the insulation especially when coverage is light. Not available everywhere. Some vermiculite is contaminated with asbestos depending on where it was mined. Not used much for home insulation anymore but it may be found in older homes.
Rigid Board Insulation
Alias(s): Polyisocyanurate, polyiso board
R-value per Inch: 6 – 7
Weaknesses: Expensive, R-value diminishes slightly over time especially if the foil face is removed. It will absorb moisture if wet, degrades in sunlight.
Alias(s): Polystyrene bead board, Styrofoam
R-value per Inch: Approx – 3.5
Weaknesses: Will absorb moisture if wet. It degrades in sunlight. It is not very fire resistant.

Alias(s): Expanded polystyrene, EPS
R-value per Inch: 4
Weaknesses: Will absorb moisture if wet. It degrades in sunlight. It is not very fire resistant.

Alias(s): Extruded polystyrene, XPS, blue board, pink board
R-value per Inch: 5
Weaknesses: Degrades in sunlight. Some ants will burrow and nest in XPS. It is not very fire resistant.

Alias(s): Rigid fiberglass
R-value per Inch: 4.4
Weaknesses: Expensive. Not available everywhere.

Spray Applied Insulation
Alias(s): Open-cell polyurethane foam, open-cell, soft foam, half-pound foam
R-value per Inch: 3.5 – 4
Weaknesses: More expensive than batts or cellulose. It will absorb moisture. Not DIY friendly. Installation produces excess foam that must be trimmed and disposed of. Ongoing debate in industry about fire resistance in exposed applications. It is subject to minimum and maximum temperature restrictions during installation.
Alias(s): Closed-cell polyurethane foam, closed-cell, hard foam, two-pound foam
R-value per Inch: 5 – 6.8
Weaknesses: expensive, not DIY friendly, ongoing debate in industry about fire resistance in exposed applications, installer experience/training critical as improperly installed foam is prone to failure, subject to minimum and maximum temperature restrictions during installation.

Alias(s): Kit foam, can foam, DIY foam
R-value per Inch: 5 – 6
Weaknesses: Expensive especially if used for large areas. Not user friendly- requires know how to both select the right product and install it properly. It is subject to minimum and maximum temperature restrictions during installation.

Alias(s): Wet spray cellulose, spray cellulose, dense pack cellulose (“dense pack” is an incorrect term often used to describe wet spray cellulose, see “dense pack” under injected insulation)
R-value per Inch: 3.5
Weaknesses: Not DIY friendly. Installed wet and concerns about moisture release and mold have surfaced in the industry. Adhesion to wall surfaces can break down over time so the tight installation may not be long term.

Poured-in or Injected Insulation
Alias(s): Open-cell polyurethane foam, open-cell injection foam, blown in foam
R-value per Inch: 4
Weaknesses: Expensive. It will absorb moisture. Not DIY friendly. It is not available everywhere. It is subject to minimum and maximum temperature restrictions during installation.
Alias(s): Closed-cell polyurethane foam, closed-cell injection foam, blown in foam
R-value per Inch: 5 – 7
Weaknesses: Expensive. Not DIY friendly. Installer experience and training is critical. Improperly installed foam can damage walls with expansion pressure. It is subject to minimum and maximum temperature restrictions during installation. Not available everywhere.

Alias(s): Kit foam, can foam, DIY foam
R-value per Inch: 5 – 6
Weaknesses: Expensive especially if used for large quantities. Not user friendly- requires know how to both select right product and install it properly, DIY USERS MUST STUDY UP. Improper installations can lead to poor mixtures that don’t cure or to pushed walls, subject to minimum and maximum temperature restrictions during installation.

Alias(s): Dense pack cellulose, dense pack
R-value per Inch: 3.5
Weaknesses: Expensive. Not DIY friendly. Installer experience/training important as improper installations can push walls. Dense packing spaces under 3″ thick is very risky. Dense packing against brick can be risky because moisture can migrate through brick.

Alias(s): Cementitious foam, foamed cement, magnesium silicate
R-value per Inch: 3.9
Weaknesses: Expensive. Not DIY friendly. Not available everywhere. Friable (fragile and brittle).

Alias(s): Phenolicfoams
R-value per Inch: 4.8
Weaknesses: Not DIY friendly. Not available everywhere. There are reports of shrinkage after installation.

Alias(s): Tripolymerfoams, nitrogen based foams
R-value per Inch: 4.6
Weaknesses: Not DIY friendly. Not available everywhere. Has a reputation as being chemically related to urea formaldehyde foam which was discontinued for health reasons. Issue remains cloudy because manufacturers are not forthright about the chemistry of these foams.

Combination Insulation Systems and Structural Insulation Systems
Alias(s): Straw bales, straw
R-value per Inch: Approx – 2.4
Weaknesses: Not very air tight. It is subject to air movement around the bales. It can’t be used in narrow cavities. It will absorb moisture and suffer damage if wet. It is not fully tested by time and ASTM. Not for the average DIY project.
Alias(s): Structurally insulated panels, SIPS panels
R-value per Inch: Same as EPS (R=4) or closed-cell polyurethane foam (R=6) depending on which type of panel you get
Weaknesses: Expensive though EPS panels are less than urethane panels. Not DIY friendly. SIPS panels have had problems in the past with rot caused by condensation at panel seams and poor flashing details. Moisture management needs to be specifically considered if using SIPS.

Alias(s): Insulated concrete forms, ICF’s
R-value per Inch: Same as EPS insulation (The concrete mass is often ignored in their-value calculation because it complicates the situation).
Weaknesses: Expensive. Not for the average DIY project.

Alias(s): Flash and batt, Flash and dash.(Thin coat of spray foam for air sealing and remaining cavity filled in with less expensive insulation system).
R-value per Inch: Depends on the combination of insulation materials used
Weaknesses: The thickness of the foam coat is critical especially in colder climates and should be determined by a building science professional- if the foam is too thin it may lead to condensation inside the wall on really cold days.

Alias(s): Exterior Insulation Finish system, EIFS (pronounced “e-fis”), stucco
R-value per Inch: Typically the same as XPS foam board R=5
Weaknesses: This system had serious problems with trapped moisture in the 1980’s – moisture management is now a regular consideration in EIFS designs.

Alias(s): Advanced framing techniques
R-value per Inch: Depends on the combination of insulation materials used.
Weaknesses: Some learning curve for the DIY builder. Make sure local code officials approve the building techniques before construction. Some of the techniques require building materials not commonly found at local lumber yards.

Alias(s): Airtight drywall
R-value per Inch: n/a
Weaknesses: Labor intensive. It makes later sheetrock removal for renovations difficult.

Alias(s): Exterior foam sheathing
R-value per Inch: Same as XPS (R=5) or Polyiso board (R=7) depending on what is used.
Weaknesses: In order to maintain wall stiffness and strength metal braces must be used across the studs which is a little more labor than traditional framing, Strapping may be required outside of the foam board to make an even surface for siding. Windows and doors may have to have jamb extensions to match the added wall thickness.

Alias(s): Double wall construction
R-value per Inch: Varies depending on wall thickness and types of insulation used.
Weaknesses: Increased framing materials and increased labor. There is some learning curve for the DIY builder. Windows and doors have to have jamb extensions to match the added wall thickness.

Well – we’re still working on our exact foundation method.  We have one particular wall that is holding us up, but we are making progress.  Meanwhile, we’re working to nail down our mechanical systems.  We’re set on radiant hydronic heat.  We’re installing PEX tubes into Warmboard sub floor.  This leaves us to consider a way to heat this water.  We have 3 basic options.  1. solar thermal, 2. geothermal and 3. a heater.  At the moment, geothermal may be out of our reach considering the cost of actually building the foundation for this house.  The 30% limitless tax incentive is certainly nice, but still does not bring this option in our overall project budget.  Solar thermal still might be an option, but additional heating will still be needed so we’re left with a heater.  There are several options for water heaters – both tank, tankless and electric and gas.  At this point, a commercial tankless gas heater by Navien seems to be the winner.  The Navien system is 98% percent efficient, doesn’t have a minimum water output and actually has a small internal tank that preheats water to avoid the cold wate surge that is common among other systems.  The plan at this point is to use solar thermal heating for domestic use.  We’ll probably have a large tank, or maybe two tanks.  We’ll supplement this system with the Navien unit to help out when needed.  We were hoping to avoid using any fossil fuels at all, but there simply aren’t many great options out at the moment that are electric.  Luckily, we can replace a gas unit with an electric unit in the future should things change.

Honestly, this should just about do it for mechanical systems.  Due to the house being built into the hill, we don’t feel there will be a great deal of direct heat gain in the summer.  Virtually all the glazing is on the north side of the house.  The roof will have a White TPO roof membrane with a high solar reflectance, but will at some point be covered with a planted roof, so heat gain from the roof should be kept to a minimum.

We may plan on roughing in a heat pump system for future install just in case.  With global warming and climate change happening, I think it’s reasonable to assume our environment here in Portland may be diffrent in the next 20 years – if even a couple degrees.

We had a meeting yesterday with our HVAC sub, Ecoheat.  The owner, Thomas Schwab is passionate about not only quality installation, but sustainable systems as well.  Early on in our project, we decided to use Warmboard as our floor sheathing.  The main reason honestly, is that we weren’t able to make concrete slab floors work from a structural standpoint.  But as we looked at other options for radiant heating, Warmboard stood out as a clear solution.  The product heats up much quicker than thermal mass systems, such as concrete or gyp-crete.  It also needs less heat, which means it takes less energy to maintain a comfortable temperature.  

We also decided early on in our process that solar hot water would be a given.  As it stands today, we’re looking at a handful of options.  1. solar domestic hot water w/ either a gas fired boiler, or electric boiler for the radiant system.  2. alternative heat source to be a heat pump, or electric wall heaters.  3. geothermal heat for both domestic and radiant heat.  4. possible at source on demand water heaters in the kitchen to reduce water usage.  Due to the lack of direct solar access, we don’t feel Photovoltaics will work for electricity, so we’re looking to be more creative.  We’re still entertaining the idea of no gas lines to the house in an effort to not use non-renewable resources.

One of the most exciting features of our new house is the passive design.  By this, we are building a structure that is so efficient in terms of energy heat / loss, our mechanical systems will be extremely minimal.  Our monthly energy bills will be very low, and our long term energy costs will be much less than you’d expect.  This building is ‘not just another pretty face.’

We’ve been researching strategies through the PHIUS (Passive House Instatue US).  The goal is to comply with Architecture 2030 today.  The PHIUS web site claims they are the worlds leading standard in energy efficient construction.  Energy saved is 80% compared to conventional standards of new buildings.  There is a lot of information about the passive strategy on the web site.  They also have energy modeling software available for sale for $225.  Because we’re already going with LEED, we will probably not register our project with PHIUS.  Many of the items, like the energy modeling, we’re already paying for through LEED.

The passive house phylosophy aligns fairly closely with our approach.  There is a strong focus on the following categories:

-insulation

-design without thermal bridges

-air tightness

-ventilation with heat recovery

-comfort windows

-innovative heating technology

These links are certainly worth the read.  It is important to note, the passive house does not address many other items LEED addresses, such as material types, local materials, site location, project team, and innovation to name a few.  We’ll post individually on the 6 passive house strategies to follow