Tag Archives: Passive
Green Building Precedent Set Hammer & Hand and Scott|Edwards Architecture Begin Nations First Commercial Passive House Retrofit
Portland, Oregon (PRWEB) March 30, 2012 Portland builder Hammer & Hand and designer Scott|Edwards Architecture announced today a green building project that offers a new model for affordable transformation of existing commercial buildings energy performance. The Glasswood commercial Passive House retrofit will create office space that consumes 80% less energy than its conventional counterparts at an added cost of just $ 15/SF. For the first time in the United States the Passive House building energy standard will be applied to the retrofit of a commercial structure. Our building sector consumes nearly half of US energy, says Sam Hagerman, co-owner of Hammer & Hand and President of the Passive House Alliance US. Choose your poison. Whether its global climate change, dependence on foreign oil, or rising energy prices, we need to retrofit our buildings so that their performance is worthy of the 21st century. The question until now has been, how? Thanks to recent advances in building science and our understanding of how buildings function as dynamic systems, builders and designers can now address this question effectively. Passive House and PHIUS+ certification sit at the vanguard of this application of knowledge and technique. The term Passive House comes from the German Passivhaus, which literally translates as Passive Building. The standard combines advanced energy modeling with a suite of relatively straightforward construction and design principles to revolutionize the performance and comfort of buildings, from single family homes and apartment buildings, to schools and commercial structures. Though scores of Passive House projects have been completed or are underway across the US, a Passive House retrofit of a commercial building has never been done before. We have a unique opportunity here to both upcycle an existing, historic building, said Peter Grimm, architect with Scott|Edwards Architecture, and to fundamentally transform the way it performs and functions, both from an energy perspective and a human one. The Glasswood project employs the core principles of Passive House design: Extensive insulation, Elimination of thermal bridges that transfer heat or cold across the building envelope, Airtight construction, Continuous ventilation that recovers heat or cool energy, High performance doors and windows, Optimized solar and heat gains, and Sophisticated modeling. While the science and modeling behind Passive House is advanced, the suite of techniques used to get there is elegantly simple, said Hagerman. Its this simplicity that allows for the cost-effective transformation of a buildings performance and comfort. Glasswood promises to provide actionable lessons to builders and designers of commercial spaces across the country. Details about the Glasswood Passive House retrofit, including updates, progress videos, and site photos, can be found by visiting Hammer & Hands website at http://hammerandhand.com/glasswood-passive-house-retrofit About Hammer & Hand Hammer & Hand is dedicated to stewardship of the built environment through craft and science, everything from traditional kitchen remodels to home energy retrofits to cutting-edge Passive House structures. Based in Portland, Oregon, the remodeler and builder can be reached at http://hammerandhand.com or by phone at 503-232-2447. About Scott|Edwards Architecture Scott|Edwards Architecture is a Portland, Oregon based architecture firm built on the premise that innovative design solutions result from a collaborative effort between architect, client and craftsperson. The firm leads its clients on an exploration of possibilities guided by traditional principles of design clarified through a contemporary perspective. S|E A can be reached at http://seallp.com or by phone at 503-226-3617.
Save Energy with Passive Solar Energy
Passive solar energy is the heat and light your home receives daily – with no effort from you. Harnessing that heat and light and designing homes to suit it, can make a difference in the power you use to heat or cool your home. If you are planning to build your own home in the near future, consider these points before finalising your plans. 1. High ceilings are better for hot climates, as the hot air will rise high enough to keep the lower living areas cool. Low ceilings in colder climates help to keep rooms warmer. 2. Plan most of your windows and door openings to be on the side of the house where they will be more beneficial in terms of heat and light. In hotter regions, you’ll want doors and windows to open onto cool, shady areas that will send cooler air into the house, and in cold regions, you’ll want to let the heat in. 3. Insulate – as much as you can. Ceilings, floors, walls, doors, windows and even electrical outlets can be insulated. Insulation helps to maintain your home’s temperature – keeping heat or cold out or in. 4. A ‘Mudroom’, or separate entrance area allows people to enter or exit without exposing the rest of the house to outside temperatures. 5. Look carefully at where you will need light in each room, and plan windows accordingly. That way you won’t need to switch lights on in the middle of the day. If your house is already built, you can add a few items that will help maintain the indoor temperature without breaking the bank – or the house. 1. Retractable awnings are great for windows and doors that get a lot of sun in summer, and they can be pulled back in winter to help warm the house up. 2. Consider planting tall, deciduous leafy shrubs or small trees in pots near windows and doors. In winter when they lose their leaves the sun will reach in, but in summer they will provide shade and keep the air cool. 3. Insulation can be added to existing homes in ceilings without major work. Check doors and windows for drafts, and insulate them if necessary. 4. Shutters or insulated window coverings can help quite significantly in keeping heat in or out of your home. 5. Paint your roof white – it reflects instead of absorbing the heat of the sun. Most of these tips are meant to heat or cool your home using, or deflecting, the natural energy of the sun. You may still need air-conditioning, fans and heating, but they will work more efficiently, and you’ll need to use them less often. Manipulating solar energy to conserve electricity makes sense. Not only will it save you in power bills, but it is better for the environment. The next step is solar power for your home – and it need not be as expensive as you think. For more information on alternative energy sources, visit http://www.green-community.info/green_products/energy_2_green.php
Passive and Proud: Green Energy Ideas for your Home
Solar energy comes from the sun. A biology class will tell you that in addition to affecting climate and weather, sunlight provides the energy that sustains most life on earth. It also can be harnessed to provide heating, lighting and electricity. Solar power has become a hot topic lately, but this technology is nothing new ? Native Americans, people in China and even the early Greeks have historically turned their buildings to the sun for heat. These early architects were using what is known as passive solar energy. This technique makes the best use of regular building materials to trap heat with no additional mechanical equipment used. Floors, windows and roofs play a role in attracting (or deflecting) the sun’s rays. There are a number of ways to take advantage of solar radiation, starting with the house’s placement. Having the house face the equator (we’ll assume we’re in the Northern Hemisphere, thus the house should face south) means that it gets the day’s sunlight. Window orientation is also important ? for optimal efficiency, most windows should point within 30 degrees of due south. Maintaining a small percentage of north facing windows will ensure that your home is comfortable year round (and not cooking in the summer). Rock or stone tile floors and brick walls will absorb the solar radiation and continue to give off heat after the sun is gone. While common windows allow heat to escape, special windows with low-e coating, multiple panes, inert gas fill, and/or insulated frames can reduce heat loss 50 to 75 per cent. By sealing your building envelope and insulating well, you will ensure that the heat stays in the house. It can then be distributed through the house using a regular ceiling fan. Direct sunlight is not the only important light to think of when considering energy use. By using overall daylight to light a space you can cut down the need for electrical lighting and the heat that’s created by it. Artificial lighting has only been the main source of illumination since the 20th century. And using natural light may have added benefits for your physical and mental health. In addition to windows, daylighting makes use of skylights, light pipes (also known as light tubes), atriums, and light shelves to illuminate the interior. This is best considered when building, but with a few small renos your house can be much brighter, naturally! Passive cooling is another way to cut your bills and become more energy efficient. This is especially useful in warmer climates, where air conditioning can be a major power consumer. Passive cooling refers to using things for shading, to absorb the heat, and goes hand in hand with passive solar energy. It can be accomplished using exterior landscaping choices ? trees and other vegetation ? or interior/exterior building options, such as shades, blinds or special glazing on windows. Whether you are building a new home, looking at doing some renovations or just want to cut your energy bill, passive solar energy and cooling techniques are an easy way to incorporated green ideas into your home. With the rising interest in environmental issues, they make an excellent selling feature and they’ll save you money. This article was produced for Carolyn Gjerde-Tu and the team at Discover Davis Homes. For more information on real estate in Woodland CA, visit Carolyn ? your online source for Davis CA real estate, www.discoverdavishomes.com