report back presentation us passive house conference 08
DESCRIPTION
Report-back on the 3rd Annual US Passive House Conference in Duluth, Minnesota, November 2008. Presented at the Passive House California meeting, December 2008.TRANSCRIPT
3rd Annual North AmericanPassive House Conference
(via Las Vegas)
Whole > Sum:Parts
Report-back by Bronwyn Barry
Quantum BuildersFor Sustainable Living, Inc.
Duluth - Gateway to the Great Lakes
…And damn far away!www.quantumbuilder.com
Presentation Highlights
• Katrin Klingenberg - overview of progress
• Mike McCulley – original super-insulation pioneer: the Lo-Cal house
• Manfred Brausem – German PH architect with box of wonderful products, including Enersign windows
• Linda Wigington – 1000 Home Challenge
• Marc Rosenbaum – technical guru
• Chris Benedict and Henry Gifford – reducing real energy consumption in NY apartment buildings by 80%
www.quantumbuilder.com
Systems info:
• General disappointment with efficiencies of Geothermal from many attendees – too expensive and output not worth it.
• Air to air heat-pumps (by Japanese) have lowest energy cost but are hard to learn about (poor translations)
• Book recommendation: ‘Solar Hot Water Systems’ by Tom Lane
• Most architects recommended using the OSB layer as the air barrier layer, primarily on the inside. (Marc Rosenbaum made a case for using it on the outside, but this was considered a bit risky.)
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Cool ideas…
• PV panels should be installed to run the car, not the house!
• Check ‘sleep mode’ energy consumption for all appliances when purchasing
• Houses from 1800’s have correct window ratio’s for heat and natural lighting requirements
• Use SketchUp to model a house in 3-D and then model can be inserted on site with GoogleEarth to check solar shading
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Cool products…• Penetration gaskets for wiring and plumbing (German only)
• Electric Heating foils – used to provide minimal back-up heating with thermostat controls (www.enerfoil.com)
• Glass rocks – underslab insulation (www.glapor.com)
• Thoroseal used to create air barrier at concrete areas (www.thoroproducts.com) and for OSB
• Enersign Doors and Windows (www.quantumbuilder.com)
• ERV – Ultimate Air Recouperator (www.ultimateair.com) • Plumbing air admit valve – reduces need for roof penetrations
(www.studor.com)
• Crawlspace Vapor Barrier – 10 mm by Raven Industries (www.ravenind.com)
www.quantumbuilder.com
The home tour:1st Stop - Isabella Eco Home
• 2 hours north of Duluth (tundra!)
• Vacation home for Minneapolis couple
• 2,100 sf ‘loft’• Huge list of
Green features• Sand heat
storage system• Green roof• Leed Platinum
& PH certified
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• Closed cell foam at rim joists
• Blown-in dense pack cellulose in double frame walls
• Insane roof design!
Details…
• Spray foam around steel beams and framing connectors
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Cool windows…
• German triple-pane, FSC certified, all-wood with compression seals
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Efficient solar… (most of the time)
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But a gorgeous house…
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“ Oow, honey, what does that thing say-eh?”
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“Only 2 degrees below right now –eh!”
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“No, reealy-eh? Let me take a look at that!”
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2nd Stop: Duluth Skyline House• 2,900 SF 3 bedroom single
family with views over Lake Superior
• Solar hot water system for domestic and radiant floor heating
• Wood stove for back-up• Geothermal ventilation air-
tempering system! (?)• Whole house HRV system
for ventilation• (Very complicated)
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• Very attractive internal thermal mass (heat-storing) wall inside stairs at south-facing windows
• Canadian-made insulated fiberglass triple-pane windows
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• Did not meet PH standards, but came very close!
• Air leakage was downfall: 0.93 ACH at 50Pa.
Close, but not a PH…
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Be glad you live in California!
Thank you.www.quantumbuilder.com