Passive House in the Woods http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com A high-performance building delivering carbon-neutrality Tue, 03 Jan 2012 23:11:24 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 It’s a Net-Energy Positive Home http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/2012/01/its-a-net-energy-positive-home/ http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/2012/01/its-a-net-energy-positive-home/#comments Tue, 03 Jan 2012 23:11:24 +0000 Tim Delhey Eian http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/?p=851 This just in: The Passive House in the Woods in Hudson Wisconsin officially clocked a net-energy positive meter reading in 2011.

What does that mean?

In short, it made more energy than it consumed. While we predicted this with our energy models, we found and learned through monitoring that some equipment and appliances use more energy than assumed. On the flip side, user behavior plays a major role as well and can effectively lower energy consumption over the predicted model.

Starting the journey towards energy neutrality and beyond with a Passive House works really well, as the building is designed to provide a comfortable environment with very little energy input. The addition of carefully sized renewable sources, such as photovoltaic and solar thermal can then balance the remaining energy flow, or reverse it.

Passive House in the Woods on a winter night

Passive House in the Woods by Corey Gaffer 

 

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]]> http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/2012/01/its-a-net-energy-positive-home/feed/ 0 Join us for the 2011 Passive House Days http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/2011/11/join-us-for-the-2011-passive-house-days/ http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/2011/11/join-us-for-the-2011-passive-house-days/#comments Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:33:58 +0000 Tim Delhey Eian http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/?p=847

 

We are once again participating in the International Passive House Days event in November. This year marks the first anniversary of occupancy in the home and the 8th international event, as well as the 20th anniversary of the Passive House building energy standard.

Join us for two events this weekend to experience Passive House.

FRIDAY NIGHT SOCIAL

SUNDAY TOUR

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]]> http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/2011/11/join-us-for-the-2011-passive-house-days/feed/ 0 MRES Solar Tour 2011 to include Passive House in the Woods http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/2011/09/mres-solar-tour-2011-to-include-passive-house-in-the-woods/ http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/2011/09/mres-solar-tour-2011-to-include-passive-house-in-the-woods/#comments Fri, 16 Sep 2011 18:01:37 +0000 Tim Delhey Eian http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/?p=840 MRES Solar Tour 2011 logo

Minneapolis – The free, self-guided 16th Annual MRES Solar Tour Saturday, October 1, includes open houses at about 50 Minnesota homes, businesses and organizations that have solar and other renewable energy installations. Organized by the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society (MRES), the tour includes open houses in the Twin Cities and several other Minnesota communities from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For the first time, this year the online guide to sites at www.MNSolarTour.org will list each site’s additional eco-friendly features. Besides the usual pictures, maps and details about alternative energy technologies for each site, the guide will list eco-friendly features such as urban chickens, electric cars, rainwater storage systems and the like. Tour guests must register at www.MNSolarTour.org to obtain addresses of the tour sites.

“The solar tour is popular with people who are thinking about purchasing some kind of renewable energy technology because it gives them a chance to see lots of systems and talk to lots of owners,” said Laura Cina, managing director of MRES. “The lists of other eco-friendly site features this year should draw even more people to the event.”

The owner, representatives from TE Studio, as well as representatives from Energy Concepts will be on site during the day to answer your questions.

 

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]]> http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/2011/09/mres-solar-tour-2011-to-include-passive-house-in-the-woods/feed/ 0 Save the Date http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/2011/08/save-the-date/ http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/2011/08/save-the-date/#comments Tue, 09 Aug 2011 17:40:33 +0000 Tim Delhey Eian http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/?p=831

The 8th international Passive House Days are coming up in November. Once again, the gracious homeowner of the Passive House in the Woods is allowing us to open it up to the public. Join us on November 11 and 13 for two distinctive events.

11/11/11: 6.30-9.00 pm: Friday Night Social: One year in the Passive House, a guided tour, meet the designers, and social gathering.

11/13/11: 10.45-Noon: Public Tour

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]]> http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/2011/08/save-the-date/feed/ 0 Private Tour on July 8 http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/2011/06/private-tour-on-july-8/ http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/2011/06/private-tour-on-july-8/#comments Sat, 18 Jun 2011 17:32:15 +0000 admin http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/?p=825 We are offering a private tour of the Passive House on July 8th. If you are interested to experience this home in person and would like to hear Tim Eian give you a personal tour, please send us an email or give us a call at 612-246-4670. RSVP only.

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]]> http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/2011/06/private-tour-on-july-8/feed/ 2 PHitW Experience Report Lecture this Week http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/2011/04/phitw-experience-report-lecture-this-week/ http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/2011/04/phitw-experience-report-lecture-this-week/#comments Mon, 18 Apr 2011 21:57:24 +0000 Tim Delhey Eian http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/?p=821 On Wednesday, I will share the stage with Gary Konkol to share our experience with the project as part of their EarthWeek event: 4/20/11;  10 – 11am; North Hennepin Community College. Link

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]]> http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/2011/04/phitw-experience-report-lecture-this-week/feed/ 0 Zero Energy http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/2011/04/zero-energy/ http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/2011/04/zero-energy/#comments Thu, 07 Apr 2011 14:55:59 +0000 Tim Delhey Eian http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/?p=815

The March electricity bill and meter readings show that the home was zero energy during the month. After a long and cloudy winter we are now observing surplus energy generation, which will offset the winter-use of electricity.

On a related note, the energy monitor is showing that the PV systems produce at near the nominal output they are rated. Over the last week we’ve seen 4.4kW and more out of the 4.68kW-rated arrays.

Meanwhile, we are on the quest for carbon-neutral operation. Again, with a very cloudy winter that yielded neither great passive solar heat gains, nor plentiful active solar electricity and hot water, we are excited to see all sources pick up now on the way to carbon neutral operation.

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]]> http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/2011/04/zero-energy/feed/ 1 Student Tour http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/2011/04/student-tour/ http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/2011/04/student-tour/#comments Thu, 07 Apr 2011 14:44:56 +0000 admin http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/?p=811 We are welcoming students from the University of Minnesota this weekend for a tour and lecture at the Passive House in the Woods. Unfortunately, the event is not open to the public but we hope to offer public viewings again some time this year. Stay tuned.

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]]> http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/2011/04/student-tour/feed/ 0 Article in MPLS Examiner http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/2011/02/article-in-mpls-examiner/ http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/2011/02/article-in-mpls-examiner/#comments Sat, 12 Feb 2011 15:31:43 +0000 Tim Delhey Eian http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/?p=804 Examiner logo

The Minneapolis Examiner published an article by Shengyin Xu about the Passive House in the Woods project yesterday. It’s a great primer on Passive House and it highlights some of the key features of the Passive House in the Woods very well. Read.

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]]> http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/2011/02/article-in-mpls-examiner/feed/ 1 Upcoming NHCC Lecture – Save the Date http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/2011/02/upcoming-nhcc-lecture-save-the-date/ http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/2011/02/upcoming-nhcc-lecture-save-the-date/#comments Sat, 05 Feb 2011 23:59:54 +0000 Tim Delhey Eian http://www.passivehouseinthewoods.com/?p=802 NHCC logo

North Hennepin Community College invited me to share the stage with Dr. Konkol—the owner of the Passive House in the Woods. Dr. Konkol and I will be discussing our experience with the Passive House project, and inform and educate young people to consider energy efficient housing as they begin planning for their own projects.

As part of the same event at NHCC, Will Steger is presenting as a keynote speaker on Monday, April 18. He will be speaking on his polar experiences and on energy efficient housing. We’ll be able to tie into his lecture with Dr. Konkol’s house.

Please save the date: April 20, 2011 from 10 – 11 AM at North Hennepin Community College. Details to follow.

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