How a Passive Building Aggressively Saves Energy outlines the definition of passive energy and the importance of utilizing it in creating new buildings.
Link: How a Passive Building Aggressively Saves Energy
What made this article helpful
The article delved into the crucial aspects inherent in a passive house, such as consideration of building orientation and creating airtight barriers (via, amongst other things, structural insulated panels) in order to help maintain a comfortable building temperature and reduce energy use (and thus lower both utility bills and fossil fuel emissions).
Why I liked it
The beauty of this article was that it demonstrated the possibility of combining energy efficiency with aesthetics (for instance, the decision to install a Mission-style front door rather than a more efficient, yet plainer, door).
I was also particularly pleased with the numerous benefits that come with living in a passive house, one of which is a healthier indoor environment due to an innovative central ventilation system. Another positive factor is the low degree of maintenance that is needed for such a house since it has fewer mechanical systems that need to be maintained.
General thoughts
One crucial thing that I felt the article did was portray energy efficient buildings as the way of the future, for “near zero energy homes were well received even in the trough of the housing slump of late 2008 — through 2009.” That is to say, there is a demand for energy efficient buildings and the article is essentially depicting passive energy homes as a very viable option since these homes can also be conventionally styled.
