Passive House Packchat Recap

Rough collection of notes from our recent visit to Elisabeth Post-Marner's Passive House.

What is a a passive house? Simply put, a Passive House is a dwelling that uses the sun as an energy source for heating and cooling 

Site orientation is critical to its success:  south orientation with many windows 


  • There are 5 things that need to be done to achieve this:

  1. Continuous insulation

  2. Airtight construction using seals, overlaps 

  3. Triple glazed windows

  4. Energy Recovery Ventilation which brings fresh air into the house 24/7

  5. Thermal bridge free 

  6. Supplemental heating and cooling using a heat pump method 


  • The concepts of Passive House support a healthy indoor environment but we chose to take additional steps by doing the following:

  1. Construct the house with natural materials (ex:  insulation in walls is cellulose from recycled newspapers rather than standard fiberglass or “Batt” insulation) 

  2. Use finishes and furnishings that are VOC (volatile organic compounds) free 

  3. Use robust filter in our ERV and heating cooling heat pump called MERV 13  which filters airborne contaminants such as PM 2 (particulate matter 2:  fine dust particles that if inhaled cause respiratory distress)

  4. Clean our house with non-VOC cleaners- more info here.

  5. Monitor our air quality with a monitor called AWAIR 

  6. Filter our well water with ultraviolet light 


What you can do to improve your indoor air quality

  1. Upgrade the filter in your AC/ furnace to MERV 8 or greater; replace your filter every 3 months)

  2. Keep windows open during the day to supplement the fresh air coming in from AC

  3. Keep your humidity at 50% or lower

  4. Use healthy cleaning supplies that are non-toxic


What my sister taught me 

  1. That even facing death life can be beautiful

  2. The freedom in living in a house without clutter and with fewer material things 

  3. The importance of regular gynecological visits with CA-125 blood tests for early detection of ovarian cancer. Learn more here.


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