Lowering energy consumption is achieved most cost effectively during the planning and design phase of a building. According to the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, buildings and houses account for a staggering 39% of fossil fuel consumption in the United States. Anderson Sustainable Architecture therefore views sustainable architectural design not as an afterthought, but as a normal, essential, and responsible part of 21st Century building design that architects should be pursuing on every project.
Flexible, timeless design creates homes and buildings that can be used by families and companies with changing or different needs without significant remodeling. This saves owners money and materials across the life of the building and ownership, raising owner resale value.
Though improving, new energy codes can result in the construction of local buildings that are more suited to California than the Midwest. Creating buildings and homes appropriately designed for their climate can decrease heating and cooling energy requirements by 90% and improve occupant health and comfort. This is a permanent built-in improvement that increases in value as fuel prices change.
Flexible, timeless design creates homes and buildings that can be used by families and companies with changing or different needs without significant remodeling. This saves owners money and materials across the life of the building and ownership, raising owner resale value.
Though improving, new energy codes can result in the construction of local buildings that are more suited to California than the Midwest. Creating buildings and homes appropriately designed for their climate can decrease heating and cooling energy requirements by 90% and improve occupant health and comfort. This is a permanent built-in improvement that increases in value as fuel prices change.
The Twin Cities firm of Anderson Sustainable Architecture believes that the best approach to sustainability applies smart, timeless design using Passive House (increasingly referred to as Passive Building) practices and green renewable energy to achieve low energy, zero energy, or net energy buildings. The Passive House Building Energy Standard, promoted by PHIUS, is the most rigorous building energy standard in the world. A zero energy building is a building which generates as much energy on site as it consumes. A net energy building generates more energy than it consumes – a move that can help heal the environment by providing the added capacity to power electric or dual-fuel vehicles, for example.
This involves designing first to lower the energy needs of the building. Passive House principles accomplish this in part by creating an airtight structure – a technique requiring a designer trained in Passive House to ensure the proper location of insulation and moisture barriers to mitigate mold potential. Together with energy efficient building materials such as high-performance doors, walls and windows, and proper insulation in walls, roof and under slab, the resulting building requires 50-80% less energy to heat and cool than a traditionally designed structure. Use of daylighting, low energy lighting, and efficient appliances with the Energy Star rating also help conserve energy, while water collection/storage and gray water techniques help conserve water.
Building efficiency can be seen on a spectrum from wasteful to Passive House quality. We will work with you to develop a green, sustainable program that fits your needs and resources. Our skills and experience accomplishing deep energy savings are effective whether your conservation goals are modest or aggressive, and all energy savings are helpful.
Building efficiency can be seen on a spectrum from wasteful to Passive House quality. We will work with you to develop a green, sustainable program that fits your needs and resources. Our skills and experience accomplishing deep energy savings are effective whether your conservation goals are modest or aggressive, and all energy savings are helpful.
Benefits of Passive House Buildings:
- More comfortable living environments. More stable interior air humidity, air and surface temperatures provide draft free environments with lower mold potential; making occupants more comfortable and healthier.
- Healthier living environments. Design using healthy building products; providing a constant fresh air supply, filtering all supply air, decreases interior allergens and mold potential, providing high indoor air quality and reduces in potential medical care needs from chemical sensitivities and allergies.
- Power outage resistant construction. Passive House structures can maintain an interior temperature of 50°F for three days in an extended winter power outage, such as an ice storm, protecting pipes, building components and occupants.
- Lower maintenance. Using computer modeling, highly insulated buildings with properly placed moisture control layers and balanced ventilation are designed to avoid condensation on and within building components creating durable buildings that will last generations with fewer necessary repairs.
- Ongoing energy cost savings. High insulation levels can lower heating and cooling energy consumption 50-80%, saving energy and delivering lower utility bills.
- Increased security. Passive House quality windows and doors have superior multi-point latching mechanisms for air leak free construction. With triple pane glass, they are extremely durable, weather resistant and inherently more secure.
- Quieter interior environments. The high quality windows, doors and highly insulated attics and walls create a great sound isolating damper between interior living and working environments from noisy exterior sound environments.
- Low carbon footprint. Proper material selections and high insulations levels can provide a significant reduction in the use of carbon-based building products and fuel consumption, lowering carbon consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
- Recognized value added. With lending agencies, real estate companies and cities moving to include energy consumption and construction quality in property values and real estate listings, energy reduction investments are increasing their financial return.
- Cost-optimized construction. Applied computer modeling uses local climate, building material, labor, renewable energy costs and financing costs and available investment rebates to develop the break-even point for building insulation investment and renewable energy investment.
- Accurate computer modeling. The computer modeling used has been extensively field tested, fine-tuned and retested. Actual construction often out-performs modeling due to built in conservative calculations.
- Building energy storage. Buildings effectively absorb and use solar energy that wouldn’t be sufficient to effectively power solar panels. Buildings can be designed to absorb and store energy for heating or cooling in building materials, air, and water during the day or night for use when needed.
- Solar-ready or solar now. Buildings can be designed with solar panels, ready for future solar panels, or with the insulation investment break-even point known, off-site solar garden purchases can be optimized.
- Third party verified design and construction. The Passive House International-US | PHIUS process includes third-party review of design drawings and completed construction, including construction testing, to confirm that your dollars are spent as intended.
Additional Benefits of Low Energy, Zero Energy, and Net Energy Design:
- Additional reduction in energy bill or generating a positive cash flow. When energy bills are crushed, if onsite or offsite solar garden renewable energy systems are added, unused electricity can be sold back to the local utility.
- Additional reductions in greenhouse emissions. To deliver 1 watt of energy to a user, utility power plants consume 3 watts of energy, spending 2 additional watts of energy obtaining carbon fuels, burning carbon fuels to generate electricity and in electrical grid transmission losses from the power plant to the user.
- Opportunity to charge hybrid and electric vehicles. The environmental benefits of the next generation of vehicles and equipment can be enhanced when they are powered with on-site generated electricity.
- Grid-connected or stand-alone. Advancements in battery back-up systems are in the news with several options in efficiency, maintenance requirements and costs. With building owners typically desiring a connection to the electrical grid for backup and supply during peak demand periods, a Passive House clearly offers many advantages in reducing total loads and desired back-up loads.
Once the energy needs of the structure have been minimized, on-site energy sources like solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, ground-source heat pumps and/or wind can be incorporated into the design to accommodate the remaining anticipated energy needs.
While still generally requiring a connection to the traditional energy infrastructure for energy backup and supply during peak demand periods, a Passive House typically clearly offers many advantages. Anderson Sustainable Architecture can help you achieve these benefits at a lower cost than you might expect. We particularly serve Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the surrounding areas of Minnesota and western Wisconsin, so call today and let us know about your project!
While still generally requiring a connection to the traditional energy infrastructure for energy backup and supply during peak demand periods, a Passive House typically clearly offers many advantages. Anderson Sustainable Architecture can help you achieve these benefits at a lower cost than you might expect. We particularly serve Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the surrounding areas of Minnesota and western Wisconsin, so call today and let us know about your project!
On-site and off-site photovoltaic (electric) solar gardens or farms can be roof-mounted or ground-mounted. Solar thermal can be roof mounted or ground mounted as well, but is rarely offsite to avoid heat energy losses in distribution. Wind power can be on-site or off-site, and given the need for wind, is only cost-effective in distinct geographic areas.
With Anderson Sustainable Architecture’s experience in reducing, conserving and re-using building energy, and coordinating renewable energy solutions into your new or remodeled building project, you can have a Low Energy, Zero Energy or Net Energy building design that is cost-effective, integrated, cohesive and beautiful.
Ask Us How.
With Anderson Sustainable Architecture’s experience in reducing, conserving and re-using building energy, and coordinating renewable energy solutions into your new or remodeled building project, you can have a Low Energy, Zero Energy or Net Energy building design that is cost-effective, integrated, cohesive and beautiful.
Ask Us How.