The Ottawa Chapter of the Canadian Green Building Council is hosting a presentation today on the origins and technical requirements of the European Passive House approach to construction. This approach promotes the design of residential and commercial buildings with such a low heat demand that conventional heating systems can be eliminated, even in the central Canadian climate zone.
The presentation looks at tools, building components and details developed over the past 15 years which allow architects and designers to reduce the heating and cooling energy demand of any building by up to 90% over conventional Code construction, at a price which can be affordable to all.
The Passive House approach is contrasted with conventional and 'green' building practices in Canada, and it is argued that not only does this approach offer the cheapest lifecycle cost for all new construction, but the inherent improvements in Passive House building quality and IAQ represent a critical element in any truly sustainable solution to the multiple problems facing our built environment.
Malcolm Isaacs is a civil engineering graduate of the University of Ottawa, and has worked as a specialist in residential energy analysis and low-energy construction since 1987. In 2005/6 he designed and built the first house in Canada to Passive House specifications, and he is now a consultant, advocate and trainer in Passive House construction techniques, thermal analysis and
energy modeling.
I don't have a link to offer for more information but google might provide a good start.
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A friend attended this presentation and said the following: passive House 'retrofit' tends be very hard, if not impossible, to do economically with an older house due to the detailing, etc. Still the concept is worth learning about....
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