That’s easy: move to Key West, Florida. Ok, that’s one way to do it. But the Cleveland Museum of Natural History has an exhibit showing how this can be done without moving south: build a house with foot-thick walls, big triple-pane windows, bank vault-size doors, and clever engineering. These houses cost about 20% more to build than regular homes, but they cut heating and cooling costs (and, not to mention, pollution) by 90%. These “passive houses” are popular in Germany, but are just starting to catch on in the U.S. and Canada.
Despite the costs, the outlook for passive homes is brightening, especially as energy prices increase and the equipment needed to build them becomes more available. “The key to keeping passive houses cost effective is to increase the building’s performance to the point that conventional heating systems can be eliminated entirely. The savings will make up for the costs,” according to Chris Straka, the principal designer for Ottawa’s Rideau Residences, Canada’s first passive housing development.
