Browse Forums Eco Living Re: Owner build a solar passive house 9Jun 15, 2017 9:55 pm Probably the most efficient insulation would be dual side reflective PIRFORMATHERM or Kingspan insulation boards installed to the outside of the frame with reflective air space to the both sides (min 25 mm air gap). The bulk insulation in frames is far from being perfect - it is not covering the full surface of the wall, so it is never 2.5 at the studs. Also, sometimes builders compact the insulation and therefore deteriorate its properties even further. Re: Owner build a solar passive house 10Jun 15, 2017 10:02 pm alexp79 Probably the most efficient insulation would be dual side reflective PIRFORMATHERM or Kingspan insulation boards installed to the outside of the frame with reflective air space to the both sides (min 25 mm air gap). The bulk insulation in frames is far from being perfect - it is not covering the full surface of the wall, so it is never 2.5 at the studs. Also, sometimes builders compact the insulation and therefore deteriorate its properties even further. True, but there is no space for an insulated board. In truth, it's all pretty academic, as most of the north side of the house is glass, which is fairly efficient, but thermally leaky when compared to any of our walls. Owner build a solar passive house 12Jun 15, 2017 10:10 pm alexp79 Yep, harder to fit in the boards after, makes sense to design thicker wall initially. Is the glass double glazed? Yes, it is double glazed, thermally broken, argon filled, low-e glass. Schüco frames and Viridian Lightbridge glass. Re: Owner build a solar passive house 14Jun 21, 2017 9:11 am On my build I wanted to capture as much heat as possible from the north so I used standard glazing on the north facing windows. My eaves overhand was calculated to the millimeter so I get full shade in summer. Also I had a modest budget for my build so I looked for simple, low cost solutions.
Re: Owner build a solar passive house 16Jun 21, 2017 9:39 am Beetaloo My eaves overhand was calculated to the millimeter so I get full shade in summer. We tried to do the same, but it is not exact. While you can decide to have no sun from the beginning of summer and start getting sun at the end of summer, there are days during the "shoulder" periods where you might want sun when it is excluded and vice versa. Re: Owner build a solar passive house 17Jun 23, 2017 7:11 am Yeah, & because of the earth's thermal mass, & consequently thermal lag, the seasons lag behind the path of the sun. The winter solstice isn't the coldest time of the year, & the autumnal equinox is warmer than the spring equinox. So it's much more pleasant having the sun through the windows in September than in March, even though the sun is in the same point in the sky. Re: Owner build a solar passive house 18Sep 14, 2017 3:22 pm This sounds like a really interesting notion to read up more on. I've not heard of solar passive houses until now and I’m really eager to hear more about what the users have to say about them. As always, when it comes to real-to-life plans, the whole feasibility has to be well tested before you can really decide whether it's applicable in your life or not. Seems like you all have found good solutions to ensure that every possibility will be able to be taken care of though! AS always, looking forward to updates and more news! Re: Owner build a solar passive house 19Sep 14, 2017 9:18 pm MarkSindone This sounds like a really interesting notion to read up more on. Here's a really good resource. http://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design Passive design principles are not new, they're just not often applied. It's a pity really, as it can make homes more comfortable and cheaper to run. Re: Owner build a solar passive house 20Jan 31, 2018 4:58 pm I'm at the design stage of a new house in SE QLD on the coast. Currently we use the A/C for ~3 months, and have not needed any heating during the winter months. Some days we even find that the northern sun during winter provides too much warmth. How should I plan for eaves and size windows for the house? Are there any guides as to when to have no direct sun on the glazing? eg. between 10am-2pm, from mid Nov-Mar. I'm also debating whether or not achieving passive house standard is worth it. 0 6052 Sorry but you have a crap builder. Probably too late now. For our last build I only spoke to builders who would allow me easy access (at no cost). I used my own sparky… 10 12507 The whole intention of owner building is so a person can build a single dwelling that they intend to live in. That's why there are certain rules around what you can build… 2 16958 |