NET ZERO Energy PASSIVE HOUSE Build — Ep. 169

As we undertake quite a bit of building renovations at Flock, we are constantly keeping our eye out for sensible and sustainable building techniques, so when we caught wind that our friends were designing and building a net zero energy passive house build in the area—we wanted to see firsthand what they were up to.

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[marky]

Good to see US builders increase their focus on passive homes. The Scandinavians are way ahead of us.

[DeuceDeuceBravo]

I've watched a ton of videos on efficient home building and this is one of the best. Great explanations and practical advice. Well done. 👍

[KSMO]

I looked into building a Net Zero Passive home 2 years ago in southern Wisconsin. We were quoted $800, 000 for a 1500 sq. ft. home on a 5 acre lot which we owned. Considerably more than 2-10% more in cost. We didn't proceed since we felt we could never recover the $500/sq ft in energy savings or future sale price.

[SequoiaElisabeth]

Nice job. So happy to see this type of construction taking hold. The editing on this episode made perfect sense and is professional grade. An enjoyable and informative show.

[patrickroach-bvgx]

I liked how you and the guy with you asked the exact questions on my mind.

[iamjograd]

Love the concept of this whole new building science. What an interesting feature

[Neilhuny]

I *REALLY* enjoyed this! Passivhaus construction is absolutely the way to go and in all of our futures, where possible. Evan Hallas was great - knowledgeable and good at describing the why's and wherefore's. But Summer was very naughty at 41:34 - squirrel hole indeed! Smacked legs, Summer; go sit on the naughty step.

[markodeen]

Really honest and straight forward! I love the practical verses the ideal.

[dlg]

Outstanding presentation! I am in the early stages of planning my home build and, although I don't plan to pursue passive house certification, I'm definitely going all-electric net zero and a lot of the same principles apply to both. This wall system is effective, but quite complex and costly. For my home, I'm leaning toward a simple double stud wall assembly with 2x6 exterior structural wall, 3 inch gap, 2x4 interior wall, allowing for 12 inches of cellulose insulation. Of course there will be other high efficiency details involved, but the budget will be pretty tight for me, so it's all about bang for buck.

[alieshacropp]

Great video thanks team, Evan is very knowledgeable!

[beautifulgirl]

GREAT VIDEO, THANKS TO ALL INVOLVED. It's a real service to builders and consumers to educate everyone about what is possible and the factors involved in the decision-making process. More videos please. Cheers! :)

[seanpalmer]

Of all the building standards out there (LEED, HERS, etc.), Passivhaus is the one that has the greatest potential for positive, real change in the building industry at large IMO.
8:40 It's a noble goal to use less concrete, but I would have some real concerns about the long term durability of a plywood foundation. Engineered wood products (e.g. plywood) in particular are susceptible to damage from moisture. It's not a question of "if" but "when" water _will_ get in, whether it's from the outside (e.g. a damaged or faulty barrier sheet) or the inside (e.g. a broken pipe). Concrete is _far_ more durable to water. The thing I'd be asking: "Is it worth it if you end up having to rebuild the house in 30 years because of foundational water damage?" Personally, I rather use concrete if it meant the house could still be standing 100+ years from now.

Also, since you brought up earthships, their use of concrete is intentional...and not just for the need of a foundation. It is used as a thermal mass to keep the temperature more consistent. In the winter, the sun hits it during the day and slowly releases the stored heat into the night. In the summer, the direct sun is blocked by the roof overhang, but because of its mass it heats up much more slowly compared to outside helping to keep the house cooler. Most other materials that are appropriate for flooring don't have as much thermal mass as concrete. That is one of the big reasons why they use concrete.

29:50 I disagree. Air control is not the most important...it's water control. Building control layers in order of importance: Water, Air, Vapor, Thermal. _If you do not control water, your building will not last._

[StephenWagoner]

Thank you. This was informative and wonderful

[markharris]

Nice to hear a discussion on the range hood and bathrooms exhaust ducts. I've wondered about that.

[rons]

Awesome! Thanks for all this useful information!

[ja-uhgz]

Your videos are always informative to new concepts and ideas...and are always interesting. Thank you.🙂

[juliahelland]

Fantastic interview! Thanks for sharing! 💯

[judymckerrow]

Thank you Ms. Summer that was very interesting.I have to say the house were living in now is anything but efficient 🙁🌷💚🙃

[karendavidson]

I had to re-run to make sure the cooktop was induction. I love my induction stove !!!!

[paulmaxwell]

Our super-insulated home has 30cm/12in. thick double-stud walls, insulated with blown-in cellulose. We cut the nailing flanges off our modestly priced vinyl triple-glazed windows and mounted them about four inches back of the exterior face. This resulted in narrower sills on the interior. Why? Because, in my opinion, most people don't like wide, wide sills; it feels like living in a basement. Ours are about seven inches. Also, setting the glass back for the external face slightly improves the thermal performance of the windows by protecting them from the icy winter winds. Yes, it was much more trouble to install the windows this way, but it was just my time.