A Picture Worth TEN Thousand Words: A Passivhaus in New York
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto 
on 01.11.11
Really, one could go on for hours explaining the benefits of Passivhaus design, but it is all right here in this thermogram (thermograph?) of Loadingdock5's 174 Grand Street in New York City. It's neighbours just glow with red, representing lost heat; the building in the middle barely registers. In fact the high performance windows are even darker than the building itself.
Here it is in the daytime. Perhaps the building is lighter than the windows because it was holding some residual heat, given its dark colour.
But the story of the Passivhaus is clear as can be: most Passivhaus are detached so you don't see them smack up against other buildings. You don't normally see how the neighbours are paying to heat the streets of New York, while nobody is paying to heat 174 Grand, because it barely needs any. And we are not talking about putting in solar panels or groundsource heat pumps or green gizmos; just thick layers of insulation, careful detailing and controlled amounts of high quality glazing.
I really wonder why anyone would build any other way any more; the picture says it all.
Full Article and links can be found at: TreeHugger - http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/01/a-passivhaus-in-new-york.php
Here it is in the daytime. Perhaps the building is lighter than the windows because it was holding some residual heat, given its dark colour.
But the story of the Passivhaus is clear as can be: most Passivhaus are detached so you don't see them smack up against other buildings. You don't normally see how the neighbours are paying to heat the streets of New York, while nobody is paying to heat 174 Grand, because it barely needs any. And we are not talking about putting in solar panels or groundsource heat pumps or green gizmos; just thick layers of insulation, careful detailing and controlled amounts of high quality glazing.
I really wonder why anyone would build any other way any more; the picture says it all.
Full Article and links can be found at: TreeHugger - http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/01/a-passivhaus-in-new-york.php
Nice information, many thanks to the author. It is incomprehensible to me now, but in general, the usefulness and significance is overwhelming. Thanks again and good luck!
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