New Prefab Houses Reduce Energy Consumption By up to 90 Percent

by Natalie Brown
(http://trendintech.com)

Ok, so we have learned by now all the many benefits that solar panels and solar roofs have to bring, but what about a whole house that was made to be energy efficient? That’s what you are getting with these new prefab Passive Houses. The idea behind them is that you get to live in a modern American style home, while at the same time creating a healthier and comfortable living environment.

With a Passive House, it doesn’t matter whether it’s, raining, sunny, or even snowing outside, inside you will be using up to 90% less energy consumption than your typical home, which can amount to as much $1,000 per month in savings. On top of the money you’d save on energy costs living in a Passive House, another fabulous feature is the consistent temperature inside. All year round they maintain a constant temperature of between 68 to 72 degrees and no longer will you suffer from drafty windows, cold walls, or other insufficient insulation issues.

The two companies behind these prefab Passive Houses are Richard Pendranti (RPA), and architecture firm with a focus on Passive House design, and Ecocor, a construction company that makes Passive House components. To get your hands on one of their Passive Houses will cost you between $150,000 to $500,000 depending on the size and where you want it placed. The company’s first Passive House was constructed earlier this year in Altamont, NY.

To make one of these homes RPA’s computerized building models provides instructions to the production line at the Ecocor facility here the panelized wall and roof components are created. Once the building has been made they’re transported to the site where they’re due to be erected. A crane is used to get the wall and roof components in place before staff assemble the panels and finish everything off. With its flexible design and smart solution to reducing energy consumption, there’s no doubt these Passive Houses will become a big hit and are here for the long term.