We previously wrote about an emerging household design in Europe called Passive House design. This concept incorporates a highly insulated building envelope around a home that is carefully sighted to use the sun for winter heat and year round lighting. The new Aktivhaus combines the substantially lower energy requirements with power generators that will enable the house to produce more heat and power than it needs.
The key to these highly insulated homes is their ability to take light and heat from the sun during winter months while blocking the extra heat in the summer. Proper sighting ensures that windows and skylights are oriented towards the south to receive the most sun. Placing simple overhangs over the windows prevents unwanted summer sun from heating your indoor space.
These houses are installed with a simple piece of equipment called a Heat Exchanger that ensures fresh air inside your home. The appliance takes in the fresh outdoor air and exchanges it with the warm indoor air. The heat is transferred to the incoming fresh air which fills your home while the stale indoor air escapes outdoors.
Passive and Active Homes have yet to catch on the United States, but the concepts and innovation of these designs will surely begin to integrate the market wherever possible. These homes are also a great example of the substantial amount of energy proper insulation can save. It would sure be nice to get a credit from the utility each month for the power your home is generating rather than a bill...
More on the Aktivhaus from treehugger.com.
Interactive guide from the New York Times on Passive House Design.
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