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Passive houses got really popular over here (Austria/Germany area). It’s interesting to see it popping up in other parts of the world now too.

baybal2 9y ago
Vancouver is a good place where a case for passive house makes sense: annual temperature and moisture swings are not big. In other cities, not so much. You have to resort to fossil fuel heating anywhere where temperature get below -20 for extended time.
- the_mitsuhiko 9y ago
  Passive does not meanno heating. Just way less. Also works with temperature swings as evidented by the amounts of passive houses in the alps.
  - baybal2 9y ago
    A good place for passive house is one where a house can cool down enough during the night and accumulate enough of heat during the day. If the temperature simply goes to -20 and stays there 24/7 for the rest of the seasons. You have to design a house differently. I'm not sure about Alps region. Are conditions there like that?
    - seanmcdirmid 9y ago
      Lausanne was like that, not exactly the apps but on the southern nearby end. I venture that most of Europe has mild enough winters and summers outside of the extremes northern and southern parts.
- seanmcdirmid 9y ago
  On the other hand, in nearby Seattle which has similar climate, lots of hydro makes even electric heating fairly affordable. Also it’s in the middle of winter and my window is open, I don’t see a great need for it (maybe in the summer when it heats up and we don’t have AC). I skipped on renting in a passive building in Bellevue I saw this summer because I couldn’t open the windows (well, there was one slip I could open just a little bit). It was a nice apartment at a decent discount as well.
- upofadown 9y ago
  The 10 Watt per square meter standard remains as part of the passive house definition, no matter what the climate. The article mentions this with respect to the large amounts of insulation required in really cold places. So there is no special requirement for fossil fuels.
kalleboo 9y ago
Here in Japan it seems like for a long time it's been a competition to build the LEAST efficient houses possible, but recently it seems like all the ads for home builders are touting "ZEH" - Zero Energy House. Hopefully people actually choose to build these things too.
- hudibras 9y ago
  Coincidentally, from a couple days ago, here's an English language interview with the owner of a passive house in Karuizawa. There are also some general Japan-passive-house-related links in the article. https://www.rethinktokyo.com/2018/02/07/man-most-energy-efficient-house-japan/1517924026 https://www.rethinktokyo.com/2018/02/07/man-most-energy-effi...

baybal2 9y ago

Vancouver is a good place where a case for passive house makes sense: annual temperature and moisture swings are not big. In other cities, not so much. You have to resort to fossil fuel heating anywhere where temperature get below -20 for extended time.

the_mitsuhiko 9y ago
Passive does not meanno heating. Just way less. Also works with temperature swings as evidented by the amounts of passive houses in the alps.
- baybal2 9y ago
  A good place for passive house is one where a house can cool down enough during the night and accumulate enough of heat during the day. If the temperature simply goes to -20 and stays there 24/7 for the rest of the seasons. You have to design a house differently. I'm not sure about Alps region. Are conditions there like that?
  - seanmcdirmid 9y ago
    Lausanne was like that, not exactly the apps but on the southern nearby end. I venture that most of Europe has mild enough winters and summers outside of the extremes northern and southern parts.
seanmcdirmid 9y ago
On the other hand, in nearby Seattle which has similar climate, lots of hydro makes even electric heating fairly affordable. Also it’s in the middle of winter and my window is open, I don’t see a great need for it (maybe in the summer when it heats up and we don’t have AC). I skipped on renting in a passive building in Bellevue I saw this summer because I couldn’t open the windows (well, there was one slip I could open just a little bit). It was a nice apartment at a decent discount as well.
upofadown 9y ago
The 10 Watt per square meter standard remains as part of the passive house definition, no matter what the climate. The article mentions this with respect to the large amounts of insulation required in really cold places. So there is no special requirement for fossil fuels.

kalleboo 9y ago

Here in Japan it seems like for a long time it's been a competition to build the LEAST efficient houses possible, but recently it seems like all the ads for home builders are touting "ZEH" - Zero Energy House. Hopefully people actually choose to build these things too.

hudibras 9y ago
Coincidentally, from a couple days ago, here's an English language interview with the owner of a passive house in Karuizawa. There are also some general Japan-passive-house-related links in the article. https://www.rethinktokyo.com/2018/02/07/man-most-energy-efficient-house-japan/1517924026 https://www.rethinktokyo.com/2018/02/07/man-most-energy-effi...