CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES: SOLAR SERDAR

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

SOLAR SERDAR - KEY ELEMENTS OF A PASSIVE HOUSE

SOLAR SERDAR
Key Elements of a Passive House

From what I can find, there seem to be four main aspects to the average Passive House although each one will vary slightly. I have included two things we all like below before going into further detail – a numbered list and a lovely diagram:

1. Super Insulation that is airtight and minimizes thermal bridging
2. Highly Efficient Windows
3. Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery
4. Innovative & Efficient Heating Technology

Passive House Diagram
Super Insulation

There are a few key elements of super insulating a passive house:

* High R-Value or Low Thermal Heat Loss Coefficient – For the climate in central Europe which is a tad colder than the northeast US here, they will achieve R-Values of 38 – 52 on all external walls, slab foundation and roofs. This level of insulation reduces the heat lost during the winter and the heat gained during the summer to extremely low levels. It then becomes very easy to keep the home at a comfortable temperature with very little energy. Surfaces in the home will also remain at a constant temperature and enable the home to be kept within safe humidity levels for occupants, furnishings and electronics.
* Construction Reducing Thermal Bridging – Heat will flow through the path of least resistance such as wood, metal or certain foundation materials. Therefore it is important to not only have high insulation values, but to eliminate thermal bridges from the inside of the home to the exterior that are common in typical construction. Thermal bridging will waste the time and money spent on extra insulation if left unchecked.
* Airtight Construction – Building an airtight thermal envelope is important for energy savings, humidity control and ensuring the longevity of the building structure. Gaps in the building envelope will allow moisture to seep in, raising humidity to unsafe levels in the home and damaging the structure of the home over time.

High Efficiency Windows

Windows in a Passive House must be extremely efficient as well to complement the super insulation. In Europe they seek an R-Value of just over 7 which is no easy feat. They use triple pane windows with low-e coatings and Argon gas to reach this goal. They also seek a low U-value of less than 0.20 where a very good Energy Star window in the US will be closer to the 0.30 mark. Below are the three main requirements of windows for a Passive House according to the Germans:

* Triple glazing with two low-e coatings
* “Warm Edge” spacers between the panes of glass
* Super-insulated frames

Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery

Proper ventilation of a Passive House is critical especially due to the air tightness in the home that does not exchange the stale air with fresh outdoor air very much at all. Opening the windows is not a convenient strategy, nor one that can be performed year round. For these reasons a mechanical ventilation system in the form of an HRV or ERV is used to exchange stale air from the most polluted rooms (kitchen, bath, utility) and fresh air is vented into the living quarters (living room & bedrooms).More info at solarserdar@gmail.com.

A Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV) or Energy Recover Ventilator (ERV) is used in order to recover 75% to 95% of the heat by passing the warm exhaust air past the incoming cold air in a method that does not mix the two streams in order to make sure only fresh air is being vented into the home and no air is being recirculated.
Innovative & Efficient Heating Technology

The heating requirement is so low in a Passive Home due to all of the other factors that usually the home can be heated by simply heating the fresh air that is being brought into the home via the mechanical ventilation system. Various methods can be used to heat the incoming air inline which eliminates the need for additional ducting in the home. Some of the common methods to heat the air in a Passive House include the following:

* Small heat pump
* Small condensing gas burner
* Small combustion unit for biomass fuel
* Compact unit for all in one heating, ventilation and domestic hot water

Finally we’ll end with one of the charts I found from a case study (linked below) on a passive house built in Europe. It shows the effect on the heat requirements of a typical new home in Germany that each measure implemented has on the home.

SOLAR SERDAR

solarserdar@gmail.com

No comments:

Zeljko Serdar

	Meet a fearless child, a revolutionary teen, an irreverent youth, father of 2, entrepreneur, blogger, investor, humanitarian, president and CEO at CCRES Dedicated to advancing energy efficiency as a means of promoting both economic prosperity and environmental protection.Working to harvest this knowledge. The pioneering experience of corporations, governments and financiers will be captured, analyzed and made available for others to learn from. HRVATSKI CENTAR OBNOVLJIVIH IZVORA ENERGIJE
	HCOIE

	Edukacija i savjetovanje o korištenju obnovljivih izvora energije organiziranjem tečajeva, radionica, tribina, seminara, kongresa i drugih skupova te putem medija; suradnja s domaćim i međunarodnim institucijama u svezi obnovljenih izvora energije; povezivanje gospodarstvenika, znanstveno-istraživačkih institucija, lokalnih zajednica, tijela državne uprave i ostalih subjekata na projektima koji koriste obnovljive izvore energije.

Project CCRES AQUAPONICS

Course Overview: Whether you are a beginner, a backyard hobbyist, a homesteader or a skilled professional wanting to start a career in Aquaponics this course has something to offer. This course is intended to provide people with the best all inclusive training, hands-on experience and cutting edge methods of Permaculture based Aquaponics available anywhere! Wether you want to grow food for you and your family, a small business or a fully commercial operation this course will be sure to give you the tools, information and experience you will need to be successful in what ever Aquaponic endeavor you are interested in. At a time of global climate change, depletion of resources, pollution of water and huge losses of top soil worldwide, there has never been a more important time to learn about CCRES Aquaponics!“Imagine a technology that produces healthy organic food, clean water, and renewable energy all at the same time. We call it CCRES AQUAPONICS,”

PROJECT CCRES SPIRULINA

The ongoing support from the private investment community speaks to how strongly they believe in the development of Green Crude as an alternative fuel resource, especially ability to commercialize it,” CCRES. Few consider seaweeds as a viable source of energy and protein for terrestrial animals (at least until their cost becomes more attractive). Macro-algae have been shown, however, to possess several functional properties, including those of a functional fiber, with immune-stimulating and prebiotic effects. Today, marine algal extracts are used as an additive in pig and poultry diets with promising results. Furthermore, micro-algae have been shown to contain high levels of beneficial lipids that can be used in layer and sow diets as a source of omega-3 fatty acids. Finally, both types of algae are used as an active component in clay-based anti-mycotoxin agents. For example, the treatment of clay with a macro-algal extract has been shown to increase the reactive surface of clay up to eight times. Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources (CCRES) offers several solutions that support the nutritional part of the production system. CCRES solutions combine algae feed additive products with their services, e.g. gut quality scoring, product application systems and customised dosing advice.

PROJECT CCRES ALGAE BIOFUEL

Given the right conditions, algae can double its volume overnight. Microalgae are the earth’s most productive plants –– 10 to 15 times more prolific in biomass than the fastest growing land plant exploited for biofuel production. While soy produces some 50 gallons of oil per acre per year; canola, 150 gallons; and palm, 650 gallons, algae can produce up to 15,000 gallons per acre per year. In addition, up to 50 percent (or more) of algae biomass (dry weight) is comprised of oil, whereas oil-palm trees—currently the most efficient large-scale source of feedstock oil to make biofuels—yield approximately 20 percent of their weight in oil.

CCRES Research facility, Sveti Rok, Croatia

Project Type Rural, Intentional Communities, Community, Demonstration, Educational Project Summary At the CCRES Research Facility, we are working with farmers who are converting their working farmland into agroforestry operations. The CCRES Program addresses the need to better understand and implement agroforestry practices on a commercial scale. As these operations grow, so too will the need for industrial infrastructure and support. Project Description The apprentice roles at CCRES Research facility, in Sveti Rok, Croatia are suited to folks who are dedicating their lives to a career in regenerative agriculture. Whilst this farm is a bustling hub for learning and practice, we expect high standards in both work ethic and your ability to work as a beneficial team member. We work, live, learn and play together in quite close quarters during the season, and your attitude and aptitude are the most important qualities behind getting the most from this experience. People that get the most from their time with us tend to have the “get it done” attitude, are self-starting, communicative, teachable, positive solutions focused, dependable and take-responsibility for what they are managing. We are looking for very pragmatic folks that are good with their hands and tools, who are situationally aware and ready to get their hands dirty wherever needed on the farm. Environmental impact Less human influence means natural processes have a chance to help improve the natural environment and restore nature. Wildlife species can come back and experience less conflict with humans, and food chains can restore. Dynamic, mosaic landscapes can develop driven by large herbivores and large carnivores, supporting species of a wide range of open/semi-open habitats. Socio-economic impact New businesses can be developed based on wilder landscapes and wildlife comeback, offering new and different products. Provision of new job and income opportunities. Social coherence and local society can be enhanced if new local businesses build networks and generate multiplier effects. Reduced dependency on subsidies. Cultural impact Younger people and families returning to the countryside looking for new opportunities, bringing new life into rural communities. Local/regional branding of areas and products providing new identities and local pride that are nature/wildlife related. Cultural heritage and traditional skills reinvigorated and in a different setting.

Interview with Mr Zeljko Serdar, CCRES

PROGRAM BENEFITS FOR PROTÉGÉ A Protégé receives a wide range of business development help from their Mentor, including: Technical, financial management, and developmental assistance to gain the knowledge, skills, and capabilities Advice and mentorship on program and project management, information technology, business equipment, and workspaces; Long-term relationships with small and/or large businesses to form teaming arrangements and/or joint ventures. PROGRAM BENEFITS FOR MENTOR There are many benefits for a Mentor helping a Protégé develop their business, including: Helping small businesses and minority institutions of higher learning expand their capacity through developmental and technical assistance; Utilizing the unique/specialized skills of the Protégé and shortening the learning curve of bringing on a new subcontractor; Identifying subcontractors and streamlining the procurement process. page 62-63

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES

HOME

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

SOLAR SERDAR - KEY ELEMENTS OF A PASSIVE HOUSE

No comments:

Post a Comment