RPA Passive House Brochure

PASSIVE HOUSE Introduced to you

by RPA

INTRODUCTION

Imagine living in a comfortable, modern house with no cold drafts, no temperature variations from room to room and, astoundingly, virtually no heating or cooling bills. It might sound too good to be true, but these pleasant conditions are the norm for people who live in a Passive House.

“Passive House” is today’s most energy efficient building standard. Buildings that meet the Passive House standard use 80% less energy for heating and cooling than conventional buildings yet are markedly more comfortable and healthy than traditional buildings. A Passive House conserves energy by creating a virtually air-tight, super insulated, compact building enclosure that uses the sun and heat emanating from people and equipment to achieve a comfortable indoor environment. A ventilation system including what is called a heat recovery ventilator or HRV is used to provide a continuous supply of filtered fresh air. Added all together, Passive House offers a triple bottom line: (1) personal health and comfort, (2) energy efficiency, and (3) affordability.

These are the basic tenants of the Passive House approach. A Passive House project maximizes the energy efficiency of the basic components inherent in all buildings: the roof, walls, windows, floors and utility systems. By minimizing a building’s energy losses with smart insulation, the heating and cooling system is not called on nearly as frequently, saving resources and operating costs, while reducing the homes impact on the environment. Unlike any other structures, Passive House buildings maintain occupant comfort for more hours of the year without relying on active heating and airconditioning equipment.

With a history of inexpensive fuel and undisciplined construction techniques, there has been little need to consider the impact of VERSU S TYPICAL HOUSE PASSIVE HOUSE energy losses through poorly engineered building enclosures. Typical construction is plagued with low levels of insulation, high air infiltration, and thermal bridging between interior and exterior.

Today’s enlightened homeowner is seeking a new approach for better living.

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INTRODUCTION

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BENEFITS OF A PASSIVE HOUSE

10 BENEFITS OF PASSIVE HOUSE 1

INCREASED THERMAL COMFORT

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MUCH IMPROVED INDOOR AIR QUALITY

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ALMOST UNBELIEVABLE ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Passive House offers the highest level of interior comfort of any building type today with comfortable temperatures, no drafts or cold spots, and no temperature swings.

We spend 90% of our time indoors where the air quality is typically 3 to 4 times worse than it is outside. In a Passive House, a continuous supply of filtered fresh air is provided by the ventilation unit which also transfers the thermal energy from the air leaving the house to the fresh air coming into the house, greatly reducing the need for heating and cooling. The result is comfortable, fresh indoor air with greatly reduced dust, pollen, and other pollutants.

Passive House buildings consistently reduce energy for heating and cooling by 80 to 90% over typical construction. There is simply no need for a large, conventional, expensive, resource guzzling heating and cooling system.

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DURABILITY

Careful detailing, advanced design, better building components, and proven building science help to ensure there is no mold and no condensation inside the home or inside the walls of the home. Passive House buildings are designed to last a long time.

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BENEFITS OF A PASSIVE HOUSE

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SUPERIOR SOUND INSULATION

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RESILIENT

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LOW MAINTENANCE

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AFFORDABLE

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PATH TO NET ZERO

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MEASURED AND VERIFIED PERFORMANCE

Extraordinary airtightness levels, triple-pane glass, and thick insulation also provide superior sound insulation. Passive Houses are very quiet.

Because a Passive House very seldom requires active systems for heating and cooling, comfortable indoor conditions are maintained even during power outages or in the face of fuel shortages.

With simple mechanical systems and high quality care-free building components, Passive House buildings are simple to operate and inexpensive to maintain.

The initial cost of a Passive House building is approximately 0% to 10% more than typical construction. However, the high quality construction reduces monthly heating and cooling costs by 80% to 90%.

The low energy required by a Passive House for heating and cooling means that a small and affordable renewable energy system can turn a Passive House into a Net Zero (glossary link) energy building.

Computer energy modeling of a home’s energy consumption during the design stage and third party verification during the construction stage provide assurance of a superior building.

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SCRANTON PASSIVE HOUSE

“We love the house; every day we wake-up and notice how much we enjoy living here. It is serving all the purposes we wanted.”

Christie Karpiak

RPA 5 PASSIVE HOUSE PRINCIPLES

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SOLAR ORIENTATION

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SOLAR ORIENTATION

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HIGH INSULATION

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HIGH PERFORMANCE WINDOWS

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AIR TIGHT ENCLOSURE

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BALANCED VENTILATION WITH HEAT RECOVERY

The “lungs” of a Passive House is a box called a “heat recovery ventilator” (HRV). It provides a constant supply of filtered fresh air and saves money by recycling the energy that already exists in the home’s indoor air. In the HRV, the heat from outgoing stale air is transferred to the incoming fresh air, while it is being filtered. It provides continuous comfort and a huge upgrade in indoor air quality that is particularly important for people sensitive to material off-gassing, allergies and other air-borne irritants.throughout the interior.

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KEFFER PASSIVE HOUSE

“It made sense to us to build a house that met the most advanced building and energy standards possible. The design is perfect for enjoying the spectacular forest and lake setting.�

Lynn and Tom Keffer

RPA 5 PASSIVE HOUSE PRINCIPLES

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HIGH INSULATION

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SOLAR ORIENTATION

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HIGH INSULATION

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HIGH PERFORMANCE WINDOWS

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AIR TIGHT ENCLOSURE

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BALANCED VENTILATION WITH HEAT RECOVERY

Passive House buildings are super insulated. With walls two to three times as thick as today’s standard construction, the inside temperature is stable and predictable without the need for heating or cooling adjustments. Wall assemblies are analyzed and detailed to allow for proper moisture management that results in a long lasting and exceptionally healthy building.

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SOEDER PASSIVE HOUSE

“We wanted to build a new home that would suit us now and into retirement.

I also wanted to achieve a high level of sustainability and take advantage of the latest building technology.�

Shawn Soeder

RPA 5 PASSIVE HOUSE PRINCIPLES

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HIGH PERFORMANCE WINDOWS

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SOLAR ORIENTATION

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HIGH INSULATION

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HIGH PERFORMANCE WINDOWS

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AIR TIGHT ENCLOSURE

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BALANCED VENTILATION WITH HEAT RECOVERY

Historically, windows and doors are weak links in a building’s thermal defense system. We can all relate to the drafts they can create in an average home. Passive House design places significant emphasis on specifying high performance windows and exterior doors. To meet the high performance needs of various climate zones, windows must meet strict standards regarding: insulation, air tightness, and solar heat gain values. Well detailed window design and flawlessly executed window installation are critical to the performance of Passive House buildings. 11

RPA STUDIO

“This is a simple pole barn building inspired by the vernacular agricultural buildings found in the rural farmlands of North America.�

Richard Pedranti

RPA 5 PASSIVE HOUSE PRINCIPLES

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AIR TIGHT ENCLOSURE 4

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SOLAR ORIENTATION

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HIGH INSULATION

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HIGH PERFORMANCE WINDOWS

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AIR TIGHT ENCLOSURE

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BALANCED VENTILATION WITH HEAT RECOVERY

Passive House takes great care in designing, constructing and testing the building enclosure for industry leading leakage control. Blower door testing is a mandatory technique in assuring high building performance through a virtually leak free enclosure. Walls are carefully designed to be virtually air tight, while allowing water vapor to escape maintaining a comfortable and healthy environment. If you combine all the small leaks in a typical home, it would be equivalent to cutting a hole in the exterior wall the size of a garbage can lid. A Passive House has total air leakage 13 about the size of a baseball or smaller.

KHAHBENSKY RESIDENCE

“I wanted a contemporary white box in the woods and RPA delivered a modern masterpiece that fits graciously into the environment” Asya Khabensky

RPA 5 PASSIVE HOUSE PRINCIPLES

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BALANCED VENTILATION WITH HEAT RECOVERY 4

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SOLAR ORIENTATION

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HIGH INSULATION

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HIGH PERFORMANCE WINDOWS

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AIR TIGHT ENCLOSURE

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BALANCED VENTILATION WITH HEAT RECOVERY

The “lungs” of a Passive House is a box called a “heat recovery ventilator” (HRV). It provides a constant supply of filtered fresh air and saves money by recycling the energy that already exists in the home’s indoor air. In the HRV, the heat from outgoing stale air is transferred to the incoming fresh air, while it is being filtered. It provides continuous comfort and a huge upgrade in indoor air quality that is particularly important for people sensitive to material off-gassing, allergies and other air-borne irritants.throughout the interior.

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RPA PASSIVE HOUSE SYSTEMS

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