There is a new gold standard for energy efficiency and it goes by the name Passive House (Passivhaus):
“Passive House is an international building standard that focuses on how to reduce energy consumption in building by about 90% and they did it by physics really it wasn’t developed by builders it was developed by physicists. Everything how a building interacts with its environment, the thermal dynamics of how heat transfers through materials, the way that energy is produced in the building, how solar gains come into the building or are avoided in a building so this entire building is basically designed in a spreadsheet.”
Andrew Michler’s Passive House is the product of two decades living off the grid after he bought his first solar shack for $60,000 and it promptly fell apart. He reconfigured that original shack to an unconventional open plan interior which includes a hanging net bed. The wedge shape of the home helps with passive solar orientation and also helps avoid unnecessary surface area and heat loss.
Never too early to start planning if you have a cabin the woods in your dreams and we think you should consider the most energy efficient version of that dream if possible. To learn more about Passive House go HERE.
There is an amazing article written by Michler about his creation HERE
[all images from inhabitat.com]