Don’t worry, just a little bump - $70 is just around the corner. Short traders just keep making those margin calls, mortgage the house if you have to. Fortunes await you! PO is for pansies and doomers. At $70 short some more ..... it is going back to $22 .... the world is awash with oil ........ reality has nothing to do with it, its all in those charts!!!!!!!!!!
Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 11:29 am Post subject: Re: Passive House Design
"The Solar House: Passive Heating and Cooling," Daniel D. Chiras is a good one.
A lot is common sense given modern building materials and techniques, but some is technical, especially solar angles, thermal mass, fresh air exchange. Following are basic points.
- good site no solar obstructions
- protection from wind,
- lots of insulation (walls, windows, foundation, ceiling),
- south facing windows, west, minimal east and north,
- thermal mass to capture day heat to re-radiate later,
- sunroom,
- roof overhangs to prevent overheating in the summer,
- openable skylights or window high up (for overheating),
- attic (for hot summers),
- interior design allows heat to move through house (windows above doors-forget name?),
- controlled fresh air exchange,
- appropriate backup heat (radiant etc),
Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 11:47 am Post subject: Re: Passive House Design
I'd suggest limiting your western exposure, as most of your heat gain will occur through that glazing in the late afternoon. Also, windows facing north (Northern Hemisphere), especially clerestories, provide great indirect light, mitigating some of the need for artificial lighting.
As always, site considerations should be of the utmost priority. _________________ "It's called the American Dream because you'd have to be asleep to believe it."
Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 12:53 pm Post subject: Re: Passive House Design
You should check out www.sunplans.com for specific plans and designs. I actually built the Garden Atrium plan.
And I'll tell you, it works. Even in the heat of summer, last week I was out there finalizing the construction on the house, and it was 90 degrees outside, humid. But it was comfortable inside, just by opening the windows in the atrium and opening the windows on the north side. That air, combined with the very high mass in my floors and walls was keeping the house in the mid 70's inside. Awesome stuff. I'm extremely glad I built it.
Joined: Mar 19, 2007 Posts: 162 Location: Ontario, Canada
Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2007 10:35 am Post subject: Re: Passive House Design
From my personal library, in no particular order:
Home Guide to Solar Heating and Cooling, Jackson Hand, copyright 1978, ISBN 06-0906502
The Passive Solar Energy Book, A complete guide to passive solar home, greenhouse and building design, Edward Mazria, copyright 1979, ISBN 0-87857-237-6
Super Solar Houses, William A. Shurcliff, copyright 1983, ISBN 0-931790-47-6
The Homeowner's Complete Handbook for Add-On Solar Greenhouses & Sunspaces, Andrew M. Shapiro, copyright 1985, ISBN 0-87857-507-3
Other Homes and Garbage, Designs for self-sufficient living, Jim Leckie, Gil Masters, Harry Whitehouse, Lily Young, copyright 1975, ISBN 0-87156-141-7
Low-Cost, Energy-Efficient Shelter for the Owner and Builder, Eugene Eccli, copyright 1976, ISBN 0-87857-114-0
The Autonomous House, design and planning for self-sufficiency, Brenda and Robert Vale, copyright 1975
Power with Nature, Solar and Wind Energy Demystefied, Rex A. Ewing, copyright 2003, ISBN 0-9658098-5-4
The Rewnewable Energy Handbook, A Guide to Rural Energy Independence, Off-Grid and Sustainable Living, William H. Kemp, copyright 2005, ISBN 0-9733233-2-9
Some of the info is dated, some construction meathods and materials have changed, but a lot of the principles are valid.
I would suggest a trip to your library first, and after you have researched all you can, try to purchase the most relavent book you find through amazon.com or some similar service, if out of print, or order it new through your local bookseller.
Hope this helps. _________________ If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn't be called research. ~A. Einstein
TANSTAAFL ~R.A.H.
The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The next best time is today. ~Chinese proverb
Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 5:55 am Post subject: Re: Passive House Design
Read On
There is an engineering standard that has been developed in Germany in Darmstadt called "Passivhaus" that, in that climate at least, results in the house being heated and cooled year-round with no dedicated heating or cooling system. The Swiss have a similar standard called "Minenergie."
The construction standard requires solar orientation, heat retaining flooring, super-insulation, appropriate fenestration, extremely tight construction, and energy recovery ventilation. There is a downloadable spreadsheet for performance calculations.
There is a slowly dawning awareness in the US of the work at the institute, but energy here is still relatively cheap. Just wait a few years though and this could take off.
Here's a link to the institute. Click on the British flag for English language.
Joined: Oct 16, 2004 Posts: 1371 Location: Appalachian Foothills of Virginia
Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 6:42 am Post subject: Re: Passive House Design
Are you looking for ideas to propose to an architect/builder, or are you an engineer yourself who wants to participate closely in the design of your new home?
The former can give you many brushstroke leads, though rarely at the level of detail necessary for a full-up design.
I did the latter, being an engineer with a background in solar engineering. Weather and latitude of your area are two of the key drivers, along with site specifics. How one manages heat can be one of the most challenging issues in locations with hot, humid summers, for example.
Joined: Oct 15, 2005 Posts: 1459 Location: Portland, Oregon
Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 11:23 am Post subject: Re: Passive House Design
One of the things that I've noticed about new houses that bothers me is the very open floor plan where Great Rooms sometimes extend two stories to the cieling. This may be great for lighting, but is simply terrible for heating and cooling. Gigantic spaces require much more energy to keep hot and cold.
I look in my neighborhood to the Victorians of the late 1800's to find houses with lots and lots of doors. Rooms can then be individually heated as needed without having to heat an entire house. Of course those houses were very dark so I would add lots of double paned windows and a judicious use of south facing skylights to bring in passive lighting.
Of course this works best for northern climates- doors can then be opened to allow a free flow of air throughout a house. In tropical climates, large open floor plans where air can circulate easily is a great idea. But for me in the Northwest? Terrible idea...
Joined: Oct 15, 2005 Posts: 1459 Location: Portland, Oregon
Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 2:54 pm Post subject: Re: Passive House Design
And some ceiling fans- to circulate that air...
If you have the space build one story- that second floor will get super hot.
Make sure you build for rainwater catchment- The Southwest is in a major drought that could likely worsen. One idea is to actually build out a large underground cistern to store captured water. Water will be key- plan to store upwards of 10,000 gallons for a family of four.
Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 3:33 pm Post subject: Re: Passive House Design
Check out the Earthship design for an interesting exercise in passive solar earth berm homes. Uses active solar power and hot water, water catchment system, grey and blackwater systems. Internal greenhouse for food production that can help with part of your food needs. And it utilizes some of the refuse of old tires, cans, bottles as part of the building materials.
I am looking at home like this for my peak oil plan. www.earthship.net
Joined: Sep 28, 2007 Posts: 22 Location: New Zealand
Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 10:23 pm Post subject: Re: Passive House Design
Double glazing is essential- even triple or quadruple glazing. It also helps with condensation and dampness, and UV-blocking coatings protect furniture and carpets.
Small windows on the shady side of the house, eaves to shade the summer sun and keep water away from possible ingress points.
If you have a gas heater use one with a two-way flue- i.e. it has both incoming cold air and outgoing exhaust gas in the flue. That way it isn't acting like an air pump.
Drafts must be minimised, so carpets where possible.
Upgrade your insulation to the highest r-value you can get. Don't use brick or concrete if it's a cold climate, they are pretty hard to heat- however they are good in hot climates.
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ree rah rip ram. sunofabitch godamn. hidey didey christ almighty. rah rah crap 
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