Green Has Arrived in St. Paul
What is Passive House Design?
In 1991, Austrian physicist Dr. Feist developed the Passivhaus (the German term) standard for houses and buildings that are heated and cooled through passive means, like solar panels, heat recovery air exchangers, hot water recovery, insulation, and more. This means there are no mechanical systems powering a Passive House building.
These buildings must reach multiple standards and use the 5 main principles to attain this goal. As a pre-certified Passive House building, Verdant is 90% more efficient than standard buildings while providing an inviting and comfortable place to live.
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High-Performance, Triple-Pane Windows
While most energy efficient windows are double paned and made of argon glass, Verdant uses triple-pane fiberglass windows, insulated frames with glass spacers, and quality insulation. Due to the chambers that separate the 3 panes of glass, you can say goodbye to cold, drafty windows. It also adds soundproof qualities, which lets in the light but keeps out the noise. -
Continuous, Super-Insulated Envelope
A continuous layer of super insulation runs throughout the exterior building frame, including the foundation, walls, and roof. This prevents heat from escaping, thus lowering the amount of energy needed to maintain a comfortable temperature. -
Airtightness
The building envelope is extremely airtight, which prevents conditioned air from escaping and outside air from invading. It also prevents leaks around doors, windows, exterior wall outlets, pipes, and more. This keeps the air temperature even and comfortable throughout sweltering summers and frigid winters, and prevents condensation and mold issues. -
No Thermal Bridge
Thermal bridging is the movement of heat across a conductive material; in this case, the exterior wall. This is due to the law of physics called conduction, in which energy flows from warmer to colder areas.
Normally, this thermal bridge would be caused by heat escaping through the more conductive wood studs in an apartment or house, but using a consistent, high quality thermal envelope that is durable and robust can prevent this heat loss.
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Mechanical Heat Recovery
An efficient, silent, and balanced Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) removes stale, humid air and delivers fresh air all without ducts, which enables the airtight construction. This allows the ERV to filter out water vapor and recover warm air that may have escaped into cooler air.
The Benefits of
Passive House
Excellent Air Quality
Even Temperature Distribution
Lower Utility Bills
Reduced Noise Levels
Advanced Building Envelope | Heat Recovery Ventilation | High Performance Triple-Pane Windows | |
---|---|---|---|
Even Temperature | |||
Mold-Free | |||
No Drafts | |||
No Thermal Bridges | |||
Low Humidity | |||
Healthy Air | |||
More Eco-friendly | |||
More Soundproof | |||
Lower Utility Bills |
Advanced Building Envelope | Heat Recovery Ventilation | High Performance Triple-Pane Windows | |
---|---|---|---|
Even Temperature | |||
Mold-Free | |||
No Drafts | |||
No Thermal Bridges | |||
Low Humidity | |||
Healthy Air | |||
More Eco-friendly | |||
More Soundproof | |||
Lower Utility Bills |