Colorado man builds state’s most energy efficient house

<a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/passive-house/">Passive House</a> is a globally-recognized design technique first pioneered in Germany that promises huge cuts in energy use for any kind of building in any climate. As a former Inhabitat contributor, I was keen to put Passive House design to the test in the Colorado Rockies, where the winters can be brutal and living off-grid comes with a tiny energy budget. The house I subsequently built definitely lives up to its promises in terms of energy conservation, but the biggest surprise is how comfortable it is. Read on as I conclude a <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/martak-passive-house/">three-part series </a>about building and living in Colorado's most energy-efficient house.

From years of building, research, and writing I became fascinated with Passive House. In Europe hundreds of buildings were developed that claimed they consumed 90% less energy than thier neighbors. I visited a <a href="http://inhabitat.com/photos-balance-project-is-a-modern-passivhaus-for-santa-fe-new-mexico/">Passive House by NEEDBASED </a>in New Mexico for Inhabitat and discovered how adept it is to a climate that was both very cold but full of sunshine. This is the state-of-the art tool for building design so when I had an oppertunity to create one for my family Passive House presented the perfect challenge.

After having an erratic and disappointing experience trying to certify with the US based group Passive House Institute US (PHIUS), I ultimately chose to certify with the <a href="http://www.passivehouse.com">Passive House Institute</a> (PHI) in Germany.

The process of certification with PHI though the <a href="http://www.passivehouseacademy.com/">Passive House Academy </a>took some time but went relatively smoothly, and to my surprise we beat the energy threshold by almost two times.

The home has been occupied for a year so far, and while it uses practically no energy to heat, the real take away is how comfortable it is.

What I learned in high school physics class paid off. The heavily insulated building envelope reduces heat loss through conduction, but it turns out that ambient air temperature is not the only reason we feel comfortable or not. With such a tight and well insulated envelope there is neither cold air coming in nor interior air circulating by cooling convection. But what really makes the difference is the radiantly neutral surfaces, especially the triple pane glass.  So my bare skin (and damp) does not bleed heat via radiation which in turn reduces the need for extra layers.

The other discovery is in learning the difference between passive solar design and passive house. A typical passive solar building will utilize up to 50% of the south side for glass. This works great under some conditions but in very cold weather there is significant heat loss, or things can get too toasty especially in spring and fall with the sun lower on the horizon.

This house comprises about 20% glass on the south side, so does not heat up as dramatically or lose nearly as much heat. That balance also pays off again in simplifying the heating and cooling needs. The house can still get a little too warm in fall so I have to be active in opening and closing windows, and I will add some movable external shading

I tried to minimize health risks by building with low processed materials like plywood, timber, tile, and cellulose, as well as mineral wool insulations.

An oversized bench on the east side creates a protected outdoor room.

My Colorado Passive House has a loft which features a net bed and an intimate space in which to get cozy.

The net bed also helps keeps the upstairs from feeling cramped and dark. It is also a kid magnet.

The bath features a sunken shower for age in place needs. Simple pegs lend a place for damp towels.

The stairs in my passive house are built from boxes to serve as storage. Some boxes pull out to act as quick little tables during parties.

The back serves as a work shop. The walls and floor are made from nail-lam cedar 2x4.

<a href="http://inhabitat.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2016/12/MARTaK_Michler-3....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/colorado-man-single-handedly-builds-states-most-energy-efficient-house/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

After years of building, research, and writing about green design, I became fascinated with the concept of Passive House design, which was originally pioneered in Germany. In Europe, hundreds of buildings have been built to consume 90 percent less energy than their neighbors, using super tight insulation and passive solar design, and the trend is gradually picking up in the US as well. Reporting for Inhabitat, I visited a <a href="http://inhabitat.com/photos-balance-project-is-a-modern-passivhaus-for-santa-fe-new-mexico/">Passive House by NEEDBASED </a>in New Mexico, and was amazed how well adapted it is to a climate that is both very cold and full of sunshine. The visit convinced me Passive House design is <em>the</em> state-of-the-art tool for building design, and that I wanted to apply it for my own home.

<a href="http://inhabitat.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2016/12/MARTaK_Michler-3....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/colorado-man-single-handedly-builds-states-most-energy-efficient-house/'>READ ARTICLE</a>