Certified Passive

Project 580 by Cedar Street Builders is a custom home creating a comfortable energy efficient environment through high performance building techniques. Architecture by Delv Design ensured a functional layout meeting the owner’s every wish while maintaining a minimal footprint and taking advantage of southern sunlight. Aiming for Passive House certification, this house will be one of only 125 homes in the country to meet this criteria to date, and will have annual heating cost at a fraction of most homes’ monthly bill. Following the LEED-H program rounds out the green building goals by addressing areas such as water usage, access to local amenities, and minimized site disturbances.

Initial passive house concept...
ICF Foundation Delivery
ICF Foundation provides concrete structure for basement as well as one of the levels of insulation.
SIP Delivery - SIP (Structural Insulated Panels) were used rather than 2x6 construction. SIPS provide structure as well as continuous insulation.
SIP Wall Installation
SIP Roof Installation
SIP Roof Installation
Fluid Applied Air & Vapor Barrier - Rather than a standard paper air and vapor barrier, a fluid applied barrier was used.
Fluid air & vapor barrier as well as the additional insulation with in-so-fast panels.
Additional Exterior Insulation - An additional layer of exterior insulation was also applied. In-so-fast panels provide another layer of continuous insulation as well as a rain screen for the siding application.
Fluid Barrier for Flashing - The fluid air and water barrier is also used for window flashing.
Passive Windows - Windows in a passive house ideally provide an actual R value to help heat the home in the winter. The windows for this project are Zola windows imported from Poland. These are European style windows and are built to Passive House standards.
This shows the back of the home with a complete layer of in-so-fast panels applied and passive windows installed.
Energy Smart Home - We held an open house on site to discuss how this project planned to meet PHIUS and LEED certifications.
Solar Panels
Solar Panels
First certified passive house in Indiana. (certification through PHIUS). Located in the Village of Zionsville.
Green Roof - While the main house has a standing seam metal roof, the flat front porch roof provides the perfect spot for a small green roof.
Sun Shades - The sun shades on the house provide shade to the windows in summer from the high summer sun and still allow in sun and heat in the winter from the low winter sun.
1st Indiana Passive House

First certified passive house in Indiana. (certification through PHIUS). Located in the Village of Zionsville.

High Performance

BASEMENT

Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) foundation and 8” of under-slab insulation created a fully insulated building envelope.

R-36 Below Slab
R-40 Foundation Walls

WALLS

The walls are over 12” thick made of prefabricated Structural Insulated Panels (SIPS) manufactured in Louisville, KY including additional exterior insulation.

R-52 Walls
R-74 Roof

WINDOWS

High Performance triple pane windows from Poland specifically designed for Passive House standards.

R-7 Windows

HVAC

Heating & A/C system designed to be 90% smaller than traditional
All electric house, no natural gas, no combustion fumes to exhaust
Anticipated annual energy costs:

Heating cost of $140
Cooling cost of less than $50

DESIGN

Designed to maximize South solar heat gains
59% of heating source is the Sun, and Occupants

28% Sun
21% Everyday electrical usage
10% Body Heat!

Certifications

PHIUS (PASSIVE HOUSE INSTITUTE US)

Super Insulation and Airtight Construction

Insulation levels near 3x code for new homes and 5x the average existing home
Insulation is installed in a very continuous manner – no thermal bridging
Airtight construction keeps the cold out, not drafts, no cold spots

Constant Fresh Air

The home is constantly supplied with fresh air, and stale air is constantly exhausted ensuring the air in the home is always clean and crisp.
State-of-the-art recovery ventilator moved this air and utilizes a heat exchanger to recover the heat of the tempered air as it is exhausted.

High Performance Windows & Doors

Glass with a high solar heat gain coefficient maximize the solar gain in the winter while calculated awnings are used to shade the summer sun.
Zola Windows manufactured in Poland are used in Project 580.

Unmatched Comfort Levels

With superior air quality and consistent temperatures throughout the home, Passive House provides unmatched comfort levels, even in extreme weather conditions.

Lifetime Carbon Footprint Reduction

By reducing energy levels with super-insulation and airtight, durable construction, and without the use of extra moving parts or gizmos requiring maintenance, the reduction in carbon footprint is ensured for the life of the home.

ENERGY STAR

The Energy Star certification ensures the home is third party verified for quality from the bottom up addressing the homes construction and HVAC design.

EPA INDOOR AIRPLUS

EPA’s Indoor airPLUS focuses on the elimination of indoor air pollutants to maximize indoor air quality.

DOE ZERO ENERGY READY HOME

Strives to ensure the home to so energy efficient that a simple renewable energy system (such as solar panels) can offset most of the home’s energy usage.

LEED FOR HOMES

LEED is a well-known green building standard that is based on seven goals:

To reverse the contribution to global climate change
To enhance individual human health and well-being
To protect and restore water resources
To protect, enhance, and restore biodiversity and ecosystem services
To promote sustainable and regenerative material resources cycles
To build a greener economy
To enhance social equity, environmental justice, community health, and quality of life

LEED points are awarded for items such as access to public transportation, minimized impact on the building site, efficient use of water, energy conservation, use of recycled materials, indoor air quality, and innovative approaches to design and construction.