In NYC, unlike most areas in the United States, buildings, rather than transportation, are the major source of carbon emissions. Passive buildings, with their negligible heating and cooling costs, could help meet carbon reduction goals.
According to the Passivhaus Institut, a "house built to passive standards uses less than a quarter of the energy of a traditionally powered home," writes Alison Gregor for The New York Times. While "few homes have been built in the U.S. that use the principles of the 'passive house' to reduce heating and cooling, passive buildings appear poised to enter New York City’s housing market in a much bigger way. Large projects delivering hundreds of new passive units to market are in the works, and city officials are watching closely."
Credit: © 2015 Passive House Alliance.
Passive Buildings defined:
Passive buildings maintain a comfortable interior climate without active heating and cooling systems — that means no more radiators or air-conditioning units for people who live in environments more temperate than New York’s. This is done using, among other things, an airtight building envelope and a system that exchanges interior and exterior air, usually an energy recovery ventilator. In New York, small heating and cooling systems are generally included in passive homes.
Passive Building potential in New York City
"Worldwide, buildings are responsible for about 40 percent of carbon emissions, but in New York City, it’s closer to 71 percent," writes Gregor. If New York City is to realize Mayor Bill de Blasio's goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 80 percent below 2005 levels by 2050, passive buildings may play an instrumental role.
FULL STORY: The Passive House in New York
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research