hkpa.com

SUSTAINABILITY PROFILE

PASSIVE HOUSE DESIGNWhat is it?

Information and FAQ’s

PASSIVE HOUSE faq’s What is Passive House?Passive House is a cost effective system of

design and construction with exceptional energy performance—so good in fact, a 1000-watt hair dryer could provide enough heat for a typical home. High quality construction practices used in Passive House capitalize on the sun’s energy yields, fresh air ventilation and produce year round thermal comfort. This creates a healthier indoor environment and reduces greenhouse gases.

Developed in the U.S. during the Oil embargo and refined in Europe, Passive House buildings use passive solar energy, good insulation, air tightness and heat recovery ventilation for energy reduction. Abundant natural light and continuous fresh air ventilation also makes for a very healthy and comfortable indoor environment—and yes, you can open the windows. Why would we build any other way?

Commercial and ResidentialThe name Passive House implies this method

is for residences, but in reality it is equally well applied to larger commercial buildings. Thousands of schools, civic buildings and office buildings have been built in Europe since 1990 when the Passive House method was born. Passive House offers a certification system that assures high quality and good performance for Commercial and Residential buildings equally.

SAMPLE BUILDINGSquare Feet:10,000 SF

Average Annual

Energy Use/Cost:250,000 kw/hr/yr$ 21,250 annually

Passive House

Average Use/Cost:111,400 kw/hr/yr$ 9,470 annually

Savings:$ 11,780 annually

Russ Weiser, CPHC®

HKP launched its Passive House Studio in 2014 as a new service for all projects led by Russ Weiser. Russ is an Architect and Certified Passive House Consultant (CPHC) at HKP architects. He has been working as an Architect with HKP since 1999 and is familiar will all phases of environmental design. As a CPHC, Russ is qualified to design Passive House Buildings.

Sustainable design principles have always been at the heart of our design decisions, particularly when it comes to natural ventilation, passive solar strategies, light, views and material expression in the Pacific Northwest. HKP architects actively incorporates sustainable design principles in all of our work and we help clients understand the long-term benefits to our environment and to their operation and maintenance costs.

HKP architects314 Pine Street, Suite 205Mount Vernon, Washington 98273

1402 Third Avenue, Suite 212Seattle, Washington 98101

phone: (360) 336-2155 fax: (360) 336-3657 email: hkp@hkpa.comhkpa.com

CertificationPassive House Certification assures

building Owner’s that the high performance Passive House requirements are met and the building will be thermally efficient and comfortable. The Certification process begins during design when a building energy model is used to simulate the energy use of the proposed building, and make any adjustments needed in the design to meet the standards. During Construction, project testing and inspections are done by experienced third party experts to verify that actual construction tolerances meet the same level called for in the design.

Building Energy Efficiency Retrofits (BEER)You may ask what can I do about my

existing building? You may be losing money every month unnecessarily. An energy assessment can show you how your building is performing compared to national averages and determine the best ways to slow or stop the energy that is literally leaking out of your building.

A Building Energy Efficiency Retrofit (BEER) may be the right answer for you. There are several levels of assessment that could be performed, from a simple remote building assessment that reviews and analyzes energy consumption and compares your building to national averages, to a more

in depth assessment with site visits and recommendations to improve efficiency. Existing buildings can be retrofitted to reach Passive House levels of performance and comfort. Assessment is the first step to tell you whether it makes more sense for you and your building to take small steps toward a more efficient building or go all the way to meet the high level of the Passive House Certification.

Call us to find out more about the options available.

Biggest Benefits � Thermal Comfort Year Round

� Amazing Indoor Air Quality

� Exceptional Energy Reduction

� Reduces Greenhouse Gases

� Saving on Energy Bills

Are you ready to enjoy the benefits of Passive House?

1. Is Passive House the same as Passive Solar?

Answer: They are not quite the same. While both seek to use the sun’s energy for winter heating, Passive House buildings go beyond Passive Solar to provide continuous building insulation, air tightness, and heat recovery ventilation. This assures the building will be comfortable, healthy and won’t require as much thermal mass or south facing glazing as a typical Passive Solar house often has.

2. I’ve heard you can’t breathe in an airtight house.

Answer: You’ll experience better air quality in a Passive House building because it’s designed to bring in plenty of fresh air through the heat recovery ventilation system, or through windows. Air quality is better when air is brought in this way rather than through cracks in leaky walls, floors and roofs that can harbor mold. Having an airtight Passive House building allows you to bring in air when and where you want it to come in. Build Tight, Ventilate Right.

3. Can you build apartment units as Passive Houses?

Answer: Yes, in fact apartment units are well suited for being Passive Houses because they have so many shared walls. This reduces the amount of exterior walls compared to the floor area and makes them easier to heat and cool.

A hair dryer could heat the typical Passive House

PHR

Visit our website for the latest Passive House Studio information at:www.hkpa.com/passive-house

Passive House Elementsfor Commercial and Residential Buildings

› Reduction of Heating Costs by up to 90%.

› Excellent Indoor Air Quality.

› Healthy Environment to Work and Live in.

› Small Environmental Footprint.

› A Big Step Towards a Carbon Neutral Future.

› Great Commercial and Residential Building Solution.

Basement

Summer

Winter

Supply AirClassroom

Supply AirLobby

Return AirOffice

Supply AirExit Air

Return AirRestroom

The Passive House

Insulation “Blanket”

Solar Shading Summer

Solar Heat Gain Winter

High Performance Doors

Air Circulation System

High Performance Windows

High e�ciency doors with excellent insulation and tighter seals are used to increase the heat retained in the building.

The heat recovery system is the center piece of the building. Fresh air is �ltered and warmed up by the exiting, used air. Air is constantly moved into and through the building with almost no heat loss.

Triple glazed, windows retain the heat in winter and keep it out in summer.

Air is continuously circulated through the building: Fresh Air is pumped into the building through the heat recovery ventila-tor. The used Return Air is moved outside through the same heat recovery ventilator. This way about one-third of the inside air is replaced each hour.

A total of 12-16 inches of insulation with an airtight membrane situated on the warm side, decreasing the heat requirement to ≤ 1.4 Kw/hr/yr

Using overhangs for solar shading, the summer sun is blocked from the window area, keeping the building cooler.

Situating the building correctly, the winter sun, sitting lower in the sky, helps to warm the house.

Heat Recovery Ventilator

Advantage

© HKP Architects 2015

Built Tight, Ventilate Right

Thermal EnvelopeA key component of the superior

comfort and reduced energy use provided by a Passive House is the high quality thermal envelope. By thermal envelope we mean the continuous insulating skin that thermally separates inside from outside. Passive House buildings are specially designed to have no drafts or cold spots, so that in winter you can keep the thermostat at a comfortable level and still save on energy bills.

Breath Easy: Indoor Air Quality & ComfortOne of the biggest advantages of Passive House buildings is superior air quality and

comfort. For people who are sensitive to mold and air-borne chemicals, a Passive House building can make a big difference in their quality of life. There are almost no air leaks or cold spots for mold to form, and fresh air from outside is continuously brought in the building at the same time stale air is sent out. Passive House buildings are required to meet a 7.2 degree F standard for thermal comfort. This means all inside surfaces (walls, floors, windows and ceilings) stay within 7.2 degrees F of the indoor air temperature year round. In a Passive House building you can walk barefoot or sit right next to a window on the coldest day in winter and not feel cold.

Heat Recovery Ventilators (HRV’s)The importance of a high efficiency heat recovery ventilator is that it allows you to

have continuous fresh air without losing heat. Passive House qualifying heat recovery systems have to be at least 75% efficient at heat recovery, and have a minimum use of electricity to operate the fan that moves air throughout the house.

Environmental Impact

Passive House buildings can significantly reduce our impact on the environment by reducing energy use. Buildings use a significant amount of energy which contributes to greenhouse gases. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, in 2013, 40% of the total U.S. energy production was consumed by buildings. Surprisingly, even in our region with significant hydropower and wind, fossil fuels still generate about 1/2 of our electricity. Because Passive House buildings use so much less energy, we can live comfortably and still significantly reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.

hkpa.com

PASSIVE HOUSE DESIGN

PASSIVE HOUSE BASIC PRINCIPLES

CAPTURING HEAT FROM THE AIR LEAVING THE BUILDING THAT

NORMALLY GETS WASTED

HEAT RECOVERY COMFORT & SAVINGS

90% LOWER HEATING BILLS AND SUPERIOR INDOOR AIR QUALITY

AND COMFORT

+LIKE A WARM WINTER COAT

COVERING ALL SURFACES WITH NO AIR LEAKS, COLD DRAFTS OR

THERMAL BRIDGING

HIGH-EFFICIENCYTHERMAL ENVELOPE

=

a

b

Opening area in these frames shows:a Average area of air leaks in a typical home. b Average area of air leaks in a Passive House.

Thermal BridgingMost buildings have significant energy leakage through the building envelope because of thermal bridges. Standard

construction details are designed to be easy to build, not easy to insulate. The careful detailing used in Passive House buildings eliminates thermal bridges that pass heat between inside and outside. This not only improves comfort, but reduces energy use for the lifetime of the building. The image on the cover illustrates the difference in thermal bridging and heat loss of a Passive House building.

About WindowsYou may notice the high quality windows in a Passive House. Windows

typically lose more heat than any other building component. Passive House windows have specially designed frames and air seals to reduce thermal losses. The glass is typically triple pane which keeps the interior surface of the glass at room temperature, eliminating drafts. With proper orientation and shading, windows that meet the thermal performance requirements can actually gain more energy than they lose over the year.