Earlier this season the US administration introduced rebates and tax incentives for US homeowners purchasing heat pumps.
The cost of home ownership rises
With spiking energy prices, bad news on the climate front, and a stressed economy, more and more homeowners are turning to passive house technology. We hear from folks across North America every day, and it’s usually about building the most energy efficient home they can build. Some are even relocating to a different part of the country.
US homeowners in particular are getting switched onto air source heat pumps, because of the Biden Administration’s focus on them. A heat pump handles both heating and cooling year round by pulling heat energy and transferring it. In the winter, the heat pump pulls available heat energy from outside and warms it further, in the summer it pulls heat energy from the home and pushes it outside. (Details here.)
Much more efficient and cost effective than a furnace as they just use a bit of electricity to run, air source heat pumps are an amazing way to sever ties with fossil fuels in your home now!
Did you know? Heat pumps have been historically found in many southern US homes. In the northern states, heat pumps weren’t always the best option, but newer models are designed to cope extremely well with very low temperatures and can now be found in homes across the US and Canada.
Passive Home Systems
A passive house is an extremely air tight home with a very low energy requirement. Air tightness means no energy leakage and makes for a much more efficient building envelope.
EkoBuilt’s passive homes are run using both an air source heat pump and a fresh air machine or Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV). The heat pump handles all heating and cooling activity, and the ERV makes sure the home has regularly refreshed air and manages moisture as well.
For the air source heat pump, we rely on the Mitsubishi Mr Slim Mini Split. For our purposes, this system is wall-mounted and we find that one unit per floor works very well (although it’s possible to add more units in a larger home). The system can also be installed as a forced air / ducted solution.
This system is quiet and extremely efficient, and suited to climates found across North America. It’s a key part of the passive house energy system we use to make each EkoBuilt home the most healthy, comfortable, resilient and future-proof home possible.
The home pictured here was built using EkoBuilt’s Madawaska passive house plan. If you’re ready to go passive and build the most sustainable and comfortable home possible, talk to us. We believe we have the most affordable passive house option in North America.
