See how an old California Craftsman can be turned into a showcase green home! As the first house in Santa Cruz County to be certified as a Passive House, Midorihaus will be one of the most energy efficient houses in California. It is under construction now, so the tour will highlight the features and systems that you don’t usually get to see in a finished home.
What is a “Passive House”? A passive house is a building in which a comfortable interior climate can be maintained with a hair dryer. This is achieved by a very well-insulated, virtually air-tight building that is primarily heated by passive solar gain and by internal gains from people, electrical equipment, etc. Energy losses are minimized. Any remaining heat demand is provided by an extremely small source. Avoidance of heat gain through shading and window orientation also helps to limit any cooling load, which is similarly minimized. A Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV) provides a constant, balanced fresh air supply. The result is an impressive system that not only saves up to 80% of space heating costs, but also provides excellent comfort and indoor air quality.
This tour will allow you to see examples of air sealing the entire building envelope and individual components:
• Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV) provides constant fresh air efficiently
• Triple glazed, super sealed windows
• Structured plumbing system
• Material reuse and recycling
For more on Passive House, visit passivehouse.us OR passivehousecal.org
For more on Santa Cruz Green Builders, visit santacruzgreenbuilders.com