Passive House Database Listing
Our architect let us know that our Nordeast Nest is now listed in the official Passive House database. That makes our home one of 47 in the United States and 5 in Minnesota to be listed. Now people interested in building a high-efficiency home in Minnesota or similar climate can learn about the thermal envelope construction and resulting performance measurements, such as air tightness and heat load. To get the final air tightness number, we had a second blower door test performed after we moved into the home. The first test was done when there was still a chance to find and seal any leaks (see blog entry "High Performance? Check!"). The outcome of the second test was even better than the first. With the house pressurized to 50 Pa, there was only 0.36 air changes per hour (ACH), equivalent to 133 cubic feet per minute (CFM) at 50Pa.
It's hard to believe that with such an air-tight home, we literally get a breath of fresh air when we walk into a room, thanks to the heat-recovery air-exchanger. We never expected our boys' bedroom to smell so fresh and clean. It's definitely a treat to have fresh air throughout the year, even in the middle of a freezing cold MN winter.
Check out the Passive House database entry for the Nordeast Nest here: