This New House - Zero Energy Construction Crosses The Ocean
Friday, 09 December 2011 11:52
Enviornmentally 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,” 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.
“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, 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.”