Sunday, August 21, 2011

Passive Heating and Cooling

Passive energy houses are attractive to those of us who enjoy things that work automatically. We have been reading an issue of E- The Environmental Magazine about passive energy homes.

The issue discusses passive homes that make heating and cooling almost unnecessary. Is that possible? I love the idea that homes and buildings can be designed so that they utilize heat recovery systems to deliver fresh air. A passive house is simply so airtight that it takes little more than the inhabitants' body heat to warm them up in cold climates. In warm climates, the design functions to keep the outside air from coming in.

They offer, "A passive house offers a different approach. Instead of reducing emissions by generating alternative power, these buildings simply don't require as much energy."

The article links to more information at Passive House US, and Prospect Architecture. We want to explore more about this.