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Solar Year One In Review
November marked the end of “Solar Year One” at the Clintonville Passive House. And as my solar panels take a rest under their blanket of snow, it’s a perfect time to reflect on the first twelve months of electricity production and consumption in our all-electric home.
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Water, Water, Everywhere
A final piece of the Clintonville Passive House design was completed a couple weeks ago. Though I’d designed it into the plans from the start, it wasn’t exactly a part of the house itself. Yes, our rain garden is installed, and plants are tucked into their bed awaiting next year’s heavy spring rains and a…
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No Payment Is Due at This Time
Well, that title pretty much sums up my solar energy update. Thanks for reading! Okay, okay. It’s said that brevity is the soul of wit, but you know I can’t keep it that short. There’s a lot more to this solar update than the result of my May and June electricity bills, which greeted me…
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Media Flurry
With the publishing of a feature article about Clintonville Passive House in the May issue of Columbus Monthly, followed by a live radio interview on WOSU’s All Sides, it seems I’ve become an extremely minor celebrity! I promise to stay grounded and not to let it go to my head. In seriousness, I’m truly honored…
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I’ve Made My Bed, Now I’ll Lie In It
I started off this project by digging myself a hole. I’ve since filled that in with a certified passive house to relative success. Now I’ve made my bed, and I’ll lie in it. Literally speaking, of course! I’m not much of a woodworker, and I don’t do anything too fancy. Nevertheless, I had been planning…
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Clintonville’s First Certified Passive House
You all knew by now I’m certifiable. And now it’s official: Clintonville Passive House is a Certified Passive House under the Phius ZERO 2021 standard! That means that not only does this project meet all requirements as a passive house, but it’s net zero energy to boot. It’s also the first certified single-family passive house…
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Here Comes the Sun
What happens when a passive house goes solar? The goals of passive building are to increase comfort, create a healthy indoor environment, make a durable and resilient structure, and use far less energy than the norm. Well, even the most efficient building uses some energy, it has to come from somewhere, and there are multiple…
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Project Complete! Plus, a Special Visitor…
You wouldn’t know it from the massive lapse in my posting timeline, but the house is finally done! Mostly. I still have a small punch list of largely cosmetic items, touch-ups, and landscaping to keep me busy for a bit, but the house is substantially complete and livable. And according to the local building authority,…
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With a Little (Lot of) Help From My Friends
Building is tough. Doing it alone is even tougher. Although I’ve worked on many phases of this project by myself, I’m very lucky to have had great friends and family who have provided not only moral support every step of the way, but who have generously offered up their time, energy, and physical assistance during…
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This Test Sucks
A while back, I wrote about one of the principles that makes a “passive” house just that. Proper thermal insulation is a crucial component that reduces energy consumption, provides thermal comfort to occupants, and reduces opportunities for mold growth and rot in the structure. The second principle is airtightness, and Clintonville Passive House underwent testing…
Clintonville Passive House
Where High Performance Building Has a Home
Clintonville Passive House 