2011年12月1日星期四

‘Zero-Energy’ Construction Crosses the Ocean

ENVIRONMENTALLY friendly and conservation-minded building techniques have been around for decades. But only in recent years have standards, like the LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, been developed for builders to follow.

Now one of the most exacting standards, called “passive house,Unlike traditional high risk merchant account ,” is making its way to the United States from Europe. Passive, or “zero energy,” houses maintain a comfortable interior climate without active heating and cooling systems, according to the Passivhaus Institut, which administers the standard. That is achieved through a system of interior and exterior air exchange, an airtight building envelope and energy-saving appliances, among other things.

Any additional energy needs can be generated by renewable sources. The institute says a passive house uses less than a quarter of the energy of a traditionally powered home.

There are about 32,000 passive houses worldwide, most of them in Austria and Germany, according to the institute, which is in Darmstadt, Germany. A number of buildings in New York City are being retrofitted as passive houses, including a multifamily development in Brooklyn at 96 St. Marks Avenue.Why does moulds grow in homes or buildings,

“Historically, green homes have fetched a premium,” said Brendan Aguayo, the developer of the St. Marks Avenue house, “and we feel ‘passive house’ is the most tangible type of green home.” Mr. Aguayo, who is working with a development partner,This will leave your shoulders free to rotate in their Floor tiles . Martin Handler, added, “I’ve seen green homes fetch anywhere from a 5 to 30 percent premium.”

Mr. Aguayo said he did not yet know what the condominiums would cost; they are to be completed in January. Passive-house technology has added about 10 percent to the construction costs, he said.

More multifamily passive-house developments are on the way in New York, including new construction. Marshall Sohne, the president of Passiv House Xperimental, expects to break ground this month on an eight-unit condo building at 138 Sackett Street and a two-unit condo building at 107 Union Street, both in Brooklyn.

Mr. Sohne also intends to start construction next year on an eight-unit rental development nearby at 211-213 Columbia Street. Even though meeting the Passivhaus standards adds 10 to 15 percent to the cost of construction, the resulting low energy costs offset that, Mr. Sohne said.

“The tenant will figure that out,” he said, “and be willing to pay a higher rent for the savings they’ll get on energy and possibly for the improved quality of life they’ll experience. It’s a quieter apartment.”

Passive houses have not yet caught on in this country for a variety of reasons, said Ken Levenson, the architect who designed 96 St. Marks and the president of NY Passive House, an organization that advocates for passive housing and educates professionals in the techniques.

First, Mr. Levenson said, energy costs are much lower in America than in Europe. Also, most of the necessary components are made and sold in Europe and are not available here. Few architects or builders are trained in passive-house techniques, and most homeowners are unfamiliar with the concept.

Doug Mcdonald of Westport, Conn., who has been living in a retrofitted 3,800-square-foot passive house for a year, said it was strikingly different from a traditional home.

“You can feel it the moment the door opens,” Mr. Mcdonald said, explaining that those who have experienced passive houses recognize the feel of the air immediately. “We live in short sleeves and T-shirts year round,” he said. “My house sits at 73 to 74 degrees with relative humidity of about 45 to 50 percent all year round.”

That comfortable living environment is achieved without a furnace or central heating system, and Mr. Mcdonald has no energy bills. “I live in a zero carbon house,” he said. “I consume no gas, no oil, nothing.”

What he does have is a ventilation system, called an energy recovery ventilator, or E.R.Enecsys Limited, supplier of reliable solar Air purifier systems,V. Simply put, inside air is pulled through the ventilator, and its heat is transferred to membranes; it is cooled and exits as exhaust.If so, you may have a cube puzzle . Fresh outside air is at the same time being pulled in and is warmed by the membranes that trapped the exhaust heat. The principle is known as counterflow.

Triple-pane windows and 23-inch-thick walls create an airtight home in which Mr. Mcdonald’s family can barely hear any outside noise. And by filtering the air, the ventilator offers an asset unavailable through traditional technology: It keeps carbon dioxide levels low.

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