Leaders in High Performance Building: A Passive House in Vermont

At HeatSpring, we celebrate innovative builders and designers who work to improve the overall quality and performance of public and residential buildings…

Our Leaders in High Performance Building Giveaway was created for those who have helped plan, design, construct, and/or operate a high performance building. Entrants could submit a photo of their high performance project(s).* The photo could show the entire high performance building or a feature of the high performance building (systems, etc). We randomly selected a winner in February 2016!

Our first featured High Performance Building Giveaway Entrant submitted “a house built to replace a house that burned down on the same spot the year before. A 3700 sq ft house built to the Passive House standard, currently going through certification with PHI. The house is on a beautiful spot on the Lake Champlain island of South Hero in Vermont. The house has 11.25″ of rigid EPS under the slab and insulation running up the inside of the cement wall with additional cellulose to increase basement wall R-value to R45. The walls are 16″ double stud walls with a 1.5″ service cavity. The attic flat has a 30″ raised heel truss and loose fill cellulose boasting giving us R-104. The Air barrier is the exterior CDX taped at seams and junctions with a mixture of ProClima Tescon Vana and SIGA tapes. Windows are from PVC industries Revolution line U-0.16, triple glazed with insulated frames. High SHGC on the south and low SHGC on the west, east, and north sides. Window massing is majority on south with moderate on the east and west and just a few on the north side. Orientation is true south for the main south wall. Ventilation is being done utilizing a Zehnder CA500 ERV with the Comfofonds ground loop pre-heater. Heating is being provided with a 4 head Mitsubishi Hyper Heat Variable Flow Rate heat pump (one condenser and four heads). Backup heat and aesthetic heat being provided by a central, sealed combustion, masonry stove. Final blower door test for the house was 0.36 ACH50. Final heat demand is 4.35 kBtu/sq ft*yr with an maximum heat load of 14,332 btu/hr at -1 F. House has been occupied since the summer and the client has yet to turn the heat on even though we have had low temperatures around 20F already. The owner is very happy with the house and is looking forward to her first winter in it. Picture is from before the landscaping was complete.”

• Project CPHP/HP Designer: Chris West of Eco Houses of Vermont, LLC

• Builder: Nate Hayward of Hayward Design Build

Continue Learning: Passive House Design

Spend seven weeks with Mike Duclos, Principal and Founder of DEAP Energy Group, learning how to meet the rigorous (and non-negotiable) Passive House design criteria and make Passive House happen in the real world. Earn 10 PHIUS CPHC CEUs, 17.5 Building Performance Institute (BPI) CEUs, 10 AIA LU/HSW Credits, 6 GBCI credits (CE Hours for LEED Professionals).

*High performance buildings maximize operational energy savings; improve comfort, health, and safety of occupants and visitors; and limit detrimental effects on the environment.

*HeatSpring’s Leaders in High Performance Building Giveaway Disclaimer: By submitting your photo, you represent and warrant to us that (1) doing so does not violate or infringe anyone else’s rights; and (2) you created the file or other content you are uploading, or otherwise have sufficient intellectual property rights to upload the material consistent with these terms. By submitting a photo, you give HeatSpring permission to publish it on HeatSpring Magazine and via HeatSpring’s social media channels. This is not a sweepstakes or a lottery; the winning photo is randomly selected with a number generator. The contest begins November 1, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. and ends at 11:59 p.m. on January 31, 2016. The winner of HeatSpring’s Leaders in High Performance Building Giveaway will be announced on HeatSpring Magazine and contacted by email within 48 hours of the close. The winner may choose to take the class selected or choose a class of equal or lesser value. This contest is open to legal residents of the USA. You must be at least 18 years old at the time of entry to participate. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.