Couple Builds Energy Efficient Passive Solar Home - Green Building

In this video we meet Casey & Natasha, a conscious couple who built a passive solar home near Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. In addition to orienting their house to face south, they installed overhangs that block the sun to keep it cool during summer months and allow the sun to enter and heat the house during winter months. They also installed a 10 kW solar system that sells clean electricity back to the grid through Ontario's MicroFIT Program and the revenue helps cover their own utility bills.

The house was built to Passive House standards and is currently pending certification. You can learn more about Passive House here:

The exterior walls of this house are 20" thick and are insulated using Roxul insulation which is made locally, better for the environment, can get wet, and has less flame retardants than traditional fiberglass insulation, which means cleaner air quality in the home.

To maximize the energy efficiency of their home, they installed triple glazed windows, a drain water heat recovery system, an air source heat pump water heater, and a bioethanol fireplace. They also chose sustainable alternatives like concrete countertops instead of granite, and reclaimed pine flooring instead of using new wood. Last but not least, they designed their house to be completely fossil fuel-free which means that they don't use any fossil fuels to power or heat their home.

Casey & Natasha are building a conscious group of companies to align their work life with their personal values. Their companies include The Conscious Builder, the Conscious Living podcast and the Conscious Store (coming soon!).

Thanks for watching!

Mat & Danielle

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Music & Song Credits:
All music in this video was composed, performed, and recorded by Mat Dubé of Exploring Alternatives.

[VictorLombardi]

This was the first time I heard someone explain the function of the overhangs at the south windows. Thank you!

[josephfigliuolo]

This is great to show how opulence can still be energy efficient. Too many anti-greens complain about giving up comforts. The show started by explaining this home is away from what they usually showcase. A high end example for sure.

[BeatlePhillips]

I'm all for someone building what they dream of. It's what they worked for and made it happen. No matter the size the house. I for one see this as a very productive, practical and yes green house.

[steventhegreat]

That's good that people who can afford these new technologies take advantage of them so it can become mainstream for every household one day.

[LS-vpdu]

I liked the energy efficient idea. What I'd like to see is a house that is small and comfortable and accommodates a family of three efficiently with a smart flowing design.

[philiq]

I'm glad the wife had an opportunity to talk. I was beginning to wonder if she ever would in this feature. Thanks for sharing.

[elfsgarden]

Wow so many negatives. I think what they are doing is great.

[arnokeinonen]

I am on the same page with Casey and Natasha and congratulate them! Being an example is a powerful way to lead change - to stop building the least efficient cheapest homes which consume much more energy, whilst also using materials which are sensitive to creating mold, and using toxic materials whilst also have a shorter lifetime, higher maintenance, is to start building homes with both eyes open looking at the effect of the whole home industry. It is not difficult nor expensive to build homes which consume way less and loads the environment much less. It is great to see agents of change, people who will pay the extra money to be pioneers and lead the way towards helping change the building code itself and also the main line home construction industry to much more sustainable track. Reality is that nothing changes unless people who can afford and are committed to change exist. I am with my spouse also in the process of building an upscale eco home for very similar reasons as Casey and Natasha, the actual target is producing more energy than we consume, growing own food and having virtually zero bills for any utilities, with a very long life time for the home. - The best example of changing one whole industry to me is Tesla - it is an upscale car and thus can be called elitist. Yet, without it we would be waiting who knows for how long for a meaningful change. All existing car manufacturing industry would seriously have dragged their feet, if it was not for the enormous success of Tesla winning so much ground, with a much more sustainable vision and reality of car transportation. Lets see what and how much needs to be proven to make the building industry more sustainable, healthier and sensible.

[UmarAlFarooq]

I just love the way she keeps looking at him. Super jealous.

[dannegeorge]

There is no way, I or I assume many others could afford to do what they did, but I do thank you for making the video. I just kept smh, thinking that this is a whole lot of space for 3 people. It was beautiful and functional. Keep the great videos coming.

[RossHotchkiss]

Using a PV system to sell energy back to the grid is such a powerful idea if it could be scaled up. Houses become mini power plants that use existing grid systems. Utility companies focus on managing and distributing power rather than generating it.

[jmmspeaks]

We needed to solve the humidity problem in our basement and were tired of using the old technology of running a dehumidifier (which costs a lot to operate and never gets rid of the toxic basement air), so we decided to buy a product called the Breeze. It has a gentle exhaust fan (115 cfm) that is rated for continuous operation, controlled by a humidistat. Instead of treating the toxic and humid basement air, it exhausts it, creating a vacuum that draws the "conditioned" air from the home's first floor into, to take its place. The results are nothing short of miraculous. The air quality in the basement has improved dramatically and we've been able to unplug the energy drawing dehumidifier. The Breeze costs pennies a week to run. No filters or drains are needed. The company sells one and two-fan models that cost from $299 to $449 and carry a 5-year warranty. I strongly recommend the appliance, especially if you’re interested in energy efficiency. It's available on the company website or on Amazon and Ebay. Much cheaper than the $1, 500 to $2, 000 units sold by Wave Ventilation, Humidex or EZ Breathe. Now our dry basement also has healthy air!

[Syllag]

this video is the proof that everyone can make a little gesture toward a beautiful future . Great video . Thanks

[RussellCambell]

My favorite part was the waste water heat reclaimer (hope I said that right). Never thought of all the energy was going down the drain. Water yes but heat is never thought about.

[sanketdighe]

Hats off to this guys.. What a brilliant masterpiece of creativity... 4000units of house but run entirely on natural abundant sources...That's something we must learn than to pollute..
Exploring alternatives..You guys are awesome.!

[jondecker]

Interesting change of pace for you guys, I really enjoyed it! Alternative living doesn't always mean "going without" or doing everything absolutely perfectly. They made up their minds about what was important to them, and in the end they definitely made a positive impact.

[edwardautra]

we like the sign that says attitude of gratitude, great motto, very good ideas, and like how you implement materials that make sense, God bless you abundantly

[TheTaits]

I love hearing about these stories especially since they are from Ontario (where we live). My husband and I have studied eco friendly living, tiny homes..etc style of living for years. Everyone pretty much tells us it's impossible because Ontario building codes are very refined and strict but we are learning through other's experiences that it's not impossible.

[Lucuskane]

Nice house, like it. The amount of effort and ingenuity it takes to do this is impressive. The positive impact for the owners and the environment is significant.

[lukeman]

I appreciate that they actually did none of the work to construct their home as much as I appreciate their dedication to passive solar and permaculture design. They did the research, and THAT is most of the actual work.