Implementing Plan C – conservation, curtailment and cooperation NewSolutionsNovember-December 2008 Number 15 Saving Energy the “Passive Way” – Lessons from a Recent Home Retrofit By Megan Quinn Bachman for reducing home energy use do not at Murphy and his wife Faith approach the 80 – 90 percent reduc- P Morgan of Community Solu- tion targets of the Passive Houses, tions knew a little about retrofitting nor do they even approach the efforts buildings for low-energy use when made during the 1970s energy crisis. they decided to turn their small 100- So-called “green building” and year-old carriage house into an artist’s energy efficiency programs for new homes like the U.S. Green Build- studio and apartment. ing Council’s Leadership in Energy After they learned how the new and Environmental Design (LEED) German “Passive House” concept can certification and the U.S. ENERGY reduce energy consumption in exist- STAR qualified homes only save, on ing buildings by up to 80 percent, average, about 25 – 30 percent of they decided to find out – and share the energy used in a typical building, with others – how much energy they according to Community Solutions. could save in their 1,000-square foot, Linda Wigington, a manager at two-story building, once used by Affordable Comfort, Inc., another horses and buggies. The Carriage House near completion (Photos: Faith Morgan) organization promoting deep energy “A Passive House is a very well- retrofits, said, “Recently much of insulated, virtually air-tight building the emphasis for low energy homes that is primarily heated by passive in the US has focused on expensive solar gain and by internal gains from mechanical and renewable systems, people [and] electrical equipment,” such as geothermal heat pumps and according to Katrin Klingenberg of solar photovoltaic arrays without the Urbana, Illinois-based Passive substantially reducing the energy load House Institute U.S. With reduced through much higher levels of insula- energy losses, Passive Houses can tion and air tightness.” be heated with an extremely small Wigington commended Commu- external source or none at all. nity Solutions for its effort to demon- “At first I was skeptical about strate the potential to focus first on the Passive House concept,” said load reduction. “A smaller and less Morgan, board president of Commu- expensive renewable energy system nity Solutions, a non-profit in Yellow can make a bigger impact when the Springs, Ohio, which educates about load is reduced first,” she said. household sector solutions for deal- The building had never before Framed double-walls were used to increase the insulation. ing with climate change and the peak been a living space and it had no and decline of world oil production. floors, ceilings and roofs – in essence, floor, foundation, electricity, plumb- “To not have a furnace in a house in thickening the building envelope,” ing, or utilities. In some places, Ohio seemed impossible,” she said said Murphy, Community Solutions’ the structure was leaning up to 12 With the world facing the end of Executive Director. Rather than inches. Because of the unfinished cheap energy as well as the prospect using conventional 2x4 single-wall condition of the building, German of catastrophic climate changes, construction, they built two 2x4 walls Passive House principles could be Community Solutions believes sepaated by a five- to ten-inch space, incorporated from the outset. homes that use little energy will making the walls nine to fourteen “It was clear at the beginning be critical in mitigating these twin inches thick. As a result, the walls that we would need thicker walls, challenges. Yet conventional methods continued on next page November-December 2008 New Solutions Number 15: 1 Retrofitting Continued from page 1 had an estimated R-value, a measure Truth Or of the rate heat energy is transferred Fiction: through a material, of between R-30 Green and R-40, far exceeding the building Machines? code standard. To minimize heat loss through the floor, they decided to build a floor on top of the existing slab. First, plastic and two inches of rigid foam were put down over the slab. On top of the foam, 2x8 floor joists were installed, supported by ledgers on the In recent years, exterior walls. Fiberglass insulation proposals have was placed between the joists. been made for As a result of this layering the what is called floor was raised 12 inches, which a “Pluggable Hybrid Electric changed the ceiling height from eight Vehicle (PHEV).” and a half feet to seven and a half Such a car with feet. The result was an R-value of its heavy depen- more than R-30 for the floor, nearly dence on bat- three times as much as the R-11 Contractors blow in cellulose insulation. One way to assess the quality of an tery operation called for in the building code. The insulation contractor is to ask them to verify the installed density of the material. just shifts where If they can’t do that, get a different contractor. the CO2 is pro- ceiling of the first floor was also insu- duced, replacing lated to minimize both sound and and there is significantly less energy need to pay attention to the quality gasoline burned heat transfer between the first and used in the manufacturing process,” of the cellulose insulation instal- by the engine second floors. This was done to allow Morgan said. And it takes about the lation. “One criticism of cellulose with electric- ity generated division of the building into two same amount of time to install as is that it can settle over time. To through the apartments and allow independent other types of insulation. Cellulose is prevent this it needs to be blown in national power control for any HVAC systems. also less expensive. at a high density,” she said, adding, system. Since Insulating the walls and ceiling In sections of the wall deeper than “One way to assess the quality of an 50% of electric- proved difficult due to the limited 14 inches, and in the ceiling, damp insulation contractor is to ask them ity is generated spray cellulose could not be used, to verify the installed density of the from coal, 20% local availability of materials and from natural installers and the challenges of as it would fall out, according to material. If they can’t do that, get a gas, and 20% finding reliable data. “You have to the installers. Instead, dry blown-in different contractor.” from uranium, get past the rumors and marketing cellulose was used in the walls, and Good quality windows and the electricity hype,” said Murphy, who is also a standard fiberglass in the ceiling, doors were the next consideration. used by a plug- which have a comparable R-value. While the double-paned (or double- gable hybrid is former builder and building software company owner. “Deep retrofits The R-value of the ceiling ended up glazed) high performance windows generating CO2 at the power using optimum insulation are being about R-40. selected are an improvement over plant slightly uncommon in the industry,” Murphy Wigington, in her analysis of the most windows, they were not up to less than that added. “Until consumers request building, suggested that an inch or Passive House standards, which call generated from well-insulated houses, builders will two of spray foam applied on the for triple-paned windows with an the tailpipe of a gasoline not offer this as an option.” Differ- inside surface of the exterior sheath- R-value of eight, much higher than engine. (Power ent types of insulation were therefore ing (between the studs) would have the R-3 of most high performance plants are 33% used in different walls of the house to prevented air movement in the wall windows sold in the U.S. and the efficient while gain experience with insulation types cavity, making it warmer. This would ones used in the retrofit. engines are 25% and methods. also help minimize the potential However, the windows chosen efficient). It is not exaggerat- On most of the walls, damp spray for wintertime condensation in the were made of solid vinyl, which does ing to call the cellulose was applied, which doesn’t cavity. Other builders suggested that not transfer heat as readily as wood. PHEV a “coal” settle as dry cellulose tends to do and caulking the joint where the framing The builders also insulated around car. is both fire-retardant and insect-resis- met the sheathing, or placing strips of the outside of the windows. tant. “An advantage over spray foam vinyl against the exterior sheathing, “The more windows, the more is that cellulose is made from natural would reduce air loss. heat loss,” said Chris Glaser, the materials rather than petrochemicals Wigington also expressed the contractor hired for the project. 2 : New Solutions Number 15 November-December 2008 Thus, few windows were included – between the siding and the stud, In existing homes being addressed How Will in the plans, especially on the north around doors and windows, and using a comprehensive whole house You Save? side of the building. Though placing wherever there were penetrations for approach such as Home Performance Contractor Chris windows for solar gain was a con- wires, plumbing, and other ducts. In with Energy Star, 1000 cfm/1000 Glaser suggest- sideration, it proved difficult due to addition, aluminum taping was used square foot is a common benchmark. ed the carriage the location of the building and the on all corners and windows and the This house exceeded that two-fold! house will use abundance of trees on the southern back side of the exterior siding was However, the carriage house’s about 70 less exposure.