Passivhaus: The Top 5 Barriers to Growth In The US

Are most homebuyers interested in purchasing a home that saves 90% over a traditional home on heating and cooling costs and requires only a small active heating system the size of a hairdryer? The Passivhaus movement is an exciting building design concept that offers tremendous energy savings due to reliance on passive heating systems.

In Germany, passive houses cost only about 5 to 7 percent more to build than conventional houses.
PHIUS estimates an additional upfront investment of approximately 10 percent over a code compliant home in the US. Estimates of actual costs in US construction range widely and are difficult to nail down due to the few houses actually constructed in the US.

In terms of long-term energy savings, passive houses seem very likely to create a significant cost savings. Once the ventilation systems and insulation are in place, the only costs outside of basic maintenance are the small, in some cases unnecessary, active heating systems. No one is seriously challenging the claim of a 90% reduction in energy costs related to heating – that's the beauty of a passive system. US green building groups such as the LEED certification system have recently suffered criticism that certified buildings do not always lead to energy savings, particularly if staff and tenants are not properly trained on using the systems. Passive houses may be able to avoid this pitfall with the strength of the passive design.

Please read the barriers to Passivehaus's at greeneconomypost