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You are here: Passipedia - The Passive House Resource » Passive House buildings in use » Operation and experience » Measurement results » Monitoring of the "Good Energy House", Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
operation:operation_and_experience:measurement_results:minneapolis_minnesota_usa

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operation:operation_and_experience:measurement_results:minneapolis_minnesota_usa [2024/11/05 16:07] – yaling.hsiao@passiv.deoperation:operation_and_experience:measurement_results:minneapolis_minnesota_usa [2024/11/05 16:12] (current) – [Modifications and improvements] yaling.hsiao@passiv.de
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 In total, the house offers about 197 m² of living space on two floors and a 60 m² large adjacent climate-controlled garage. Both the front and back yards have generous covered outdoor spaces for enjoyment, entertaining, projects, and to keep snow and debris out of the barrier-free ground-level entrances. The ground floor has been designed keeping growing old in mind. In total, the house offers about 197 m² of living space on two floors and a 60 m² large adjacent climate-controlled garage. Both the front and back yards have generous covered outdoor spaces for enjoyment, entertaining, projects, and to keep snow and debris out of the barrier-free ground-level entrances. The ground floor has been designed keeping growing old in mind.
  
-[{{:picopen:geh_minnesota_fig_5.png?300|}}][{{:picopen:geh_minnesota_fig_6.png?300|}}]+{{ :picopen:monitor_3.png?600 |}}
  
 ===== Layout of the ground and upper floors ===== ===== Layout of the ground and upper floors =====
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 The ground floor of the Good Energy House is barrier-free and offers an open-plan living area, a kitchen, a storage room with access to the attached 2.5-car garage, a guest room/home office and a ¾ bathroom. On the second floor, there are two smaller bedrooms with a shared bathroom. A generous hallway connects a vertical space near the stairs with an interior balcony overlooking the living room on the ground floor. A centrally located laundry room, which also serves as a storage room, is located on the north side of this floor. The master suite completes the floor plan on the west side with a generous bedroom, a walk-in closet and a bathroom. The ground floor of the Good Energy House is barrier-free and offers an open-plan living area, a kitchen, a storage room with access to the attached 2.5-car garage, a guest room/home office and a ¾ bathroom. On the second floor, there are two smaller bedrooms with a shared bathroom. A generous hallway connects a vertical space near the stairs with an interior balcony overlooking the living room on the ground floor. A centrally located laundry room, which also serves as a storage room, is located on the north side of this floor. The master suite completes the floor plan on the west side with a generous bedroom, a walk-in closet and a bathroom.
  
-[{{:picopen:geh_minnesota_fig_7.jpg?300|}}][{{:picopen:geh_minnesota_fig_8.jpg?300|Ground floor with living/dining area. Pictures: Corey Gaffer, Gaffer Photography}}][{{:picopen:geh_minnesota_fig_9.jpg?300|}}][{{:picopen:geh_minnesota_fig_10.jpg?300|Staircase to the upper floor and indoor balcony seating area on the upper floor. Pictures: Corey Gaffer, Gaffer Photography}}]+[{{ :picopen:monitor_4.png?600 |Ground floor with living/dining area. Pictures: Corey Gaffer, Gaffer Photography}}] 
 +[{{ :picopen:monitor_5.png?600 |Staircase to the upper floor and indoor balcony seating area on the upper floor. Pictures: Corey Gaffer, Gaffer Photography}}] 
  
 The design is simple and well-proportioned, with an emphasis on function and providing adequate space without being overly large. From cork floors to reclaimed ash wood ceilings and stairs, the materials and surfaces were chosen taking into consideration their impact on the environment and people. The home's exterior is durable, with metal panels installed where the house is difficult to reach for maintenance, and locally-sourced rough-sawn cedar within arm's reach for later upkeep. The design is simple and well-proportioned, with an emphasis on function and providing adequate space without being overly large. From cork floors to reclaimed ash wood ceilings and stairs, the materials and surfaces were chosen taking into consideration their impact on the environment and people. The home's exterior is durable, with metal panels installed where the house is difficult to reach for maintenance, and locally-sourced rough-sawn cedar within arm's reach for later upkeep.
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 The windows were sourced from Germany, which is typical for Passive House projects in cold climates in the US, as they offer quality and performance in Central Europe that has not yet been matched by locally manufactured products at the time of this writing. The windows facing east, west and south have motorised external blinds for sun protection. The windows were sourced from Germany, which is typical for Passive House projects in cold climates in the US, as they offer quality and performance in Central Europe that has not yet been matched by locally manufactured products at the time of this writing. The windows facing east, west and south have motorised external blinds for sun protection.
  
-[{{:picopen:geh_minnesota_fig_11.jpg?400|}}][{{:picopen:geh_minnesota_fig_12.jpg?400|Upstairs bedroom and downstairs kitchen. Pictures: Corey Gaffer, Gaffer Photography}}]+[{{ :picopen:monitor_6.png?600 |Upstairs bedroom and downstairs kitchen. Pictures: Corey Gaffer, Gaffer Photography}}] 
  
 The house is built as a timber frame construction with supports at a distance of 61cm (two feet) to reduce the structural wood proportion and optimise insulation values. The double/cavity wall is about 51 cm thick from the inside to the outside and is filled with compressed cellulose insulation. All of the wall cladding is ventilated. The building foundation consists of insulated concrete formwork blocks installed at a frost depth of approximately 1.10 m below grade, set on fully insulated strip footings. The roof has a slight slope and is covered with EPDM roofing membrane. Downpipes are directed into a garden area on the site, so that almost 100% of the rainwater seeps into the ground on the premises. The house is built as a timber frame construction with supports at a distance of 61cm (two feet) to reduce the structural wood proportion and optimise insulation values. The double/cavity wall is about 51 cm thick from the inside to the outside and is filled with compressed cellulose insulation. All of the wall cladding is ventilated. The building foundation consists of insulated concrete formwork blocks installed at a frost depth of approximately 1.10 m below grade, set on fully insulated strip footings. The roof has a slight slope and is covered with EPDM roofing membrane. Downpipes are directed into a garden area on the site, so that almost 100% of the rainwater seeps into the ground on the premises.
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 The unit was operated with its standard configuration for a year. Measures were then taken to reduce the noise level: a 45º foam material elbow left over from the ventilation system installation was affixed to the extract air opening and a silencer was mounted on the air inlet (see picture). With this combination, a noise reduction of almost 50% was measured at a distance of about 3 m. This setup has been kept in place ever since. The unit was operated with its standard configuration for a year. Measures were then taken to reduce the noise level: a 45º foam material elbow left over from the ventilation system installation was affixed to the extract air opening and a silencer was mounted on the air inlet (see picture). With this combination, a noise reduction of almost 50% was measured at a distance of about 3 m. This setup has been kept in place ever since.
  
-[{{:picopen:geh_minnesota_fig_18.jpg?180|}}][{{:picopen:geh_minnesota_fig_19.jpg?180|Air-water heat pump (DHW-HP). For optimisation, retrofitting with 45º foam elbow at the exhaust air opening (bottom) and intake manifold with pipe silencer (top). Pictures: Tim Eian/ TE Studio}}]+[{{ :picopen:monitor_12.png?600 |Air-water heat pump (DHW-HP). For optimisation, retrofitting with 45º foam elbow at the exhaust air opening (bottom) and intake manifold with pipe silencer (top). Pictures: Tim Eian/ TE Studio}}]
  
 The cold extract air from the unit flows from the installation room through the living room. This was perceived as particularly disturbing in winter. After about three years of operation, an improvement was therefore sought. The central ventilation system is used for the entire house. This system is controlled by an intelligent home automation system that processes several inputs from sensors and other devices. The extract air opening of the hot water heat pump was equipped with a temperature probe and the ventilation system was set up so that it always circulates air when the extract air temperature of the water heater is below 17 °C. In summer, this means that the cooled and dehumidified extract air from the water heater is circulated throughout the house to achieve ‘free’ air conditioning and dehumidification. In winter, this recirculation of the indoor air ‘sucks in’ cold extract air and conducts more warm air into the storage room and thus to the hot water heat pump. This shortens the operating time of the hot water HP and the cold air from the hot water HP is distributed throughout the house more quickly. The cold extract air from the unit flows from the installation room through the living room. This was perceived as particularly disturbing in winter. After about three years of operation, an improvement was therefore sought. The central ventilation system is used for the entire house. This system is controlled by an intelligent home automation system that processes several inputs from sensors and other devices. The extract air opening of the hot water heat pump was equipped with a temperature probe and the ventilation system was set up so that it always circulates air when the extract air temperature of the water heater is below 17 °C. In summer, this means that the cooled and dehumidified extract air from the water heater is circulated throughout the house to achieve ‘free’ air conditioning and dehumidification. In winter, this recirculation of the indoor air ‘sucks in’ cold extract air and conducts more warm air into the storage room and thus to the hot water heat pump. This shortens the operating time of the hot water HP and the cold air from the hot water HP is distributed throughout the house more quickly.
operation/operation_and_experience/measurement_results/minneapolis_minnesota_usa.1730819262.txt.gz · Last modified: by yaling.hsiao@passiv.de