This is a question we get asked often. While I do enjoy explaining it to others, I often times find myself rambling. So I thought I would try to be a bit more concise here with references for those interested in reading more about it.
Passive House (in common language)
A home designed to meet the highest levels of efficiency through the elimination of energy waste.
The technical Passive House Principals can be found on the Passive House Institutes page (PHIUS). The design principals do not dictate what materials a home uses, nor alternative energy sources. When I explain it, I usually start by says “It’s a normal house, with lots of insulation.” If folks are more interested, I dive deeper into the other keys areas of environmental management (in order of priority):
- Water
- Air
- Vapor
- Thermal
The “Perfect Wall” as described by Joe Lstiburek in a great Youtube playlist walking through some of the building science behind a Passive House.
Here is a picture from the PHIUS site which visually describes a Passive House fairly well (minus the subsoil heat exchanger).
Hi David and Stephanie. Thanks for posting this information. I have passed it on to my daughter, Katie, and son-in-law, Joey, who are also interested in environmentally-friendly living.