Recycling household heat
by Douglas Tapia
Nabih Tahan, an architect in Berkley, California has built a “passive house” that captures and recycles heat produced in the home, thus eliminating the need for a furnace altogether. Essentially the house is very well sealed, making forced air ventilation a necessity. The heart of the system is a heat exchanger that strips the old, stale air of its heat and uses it to heat the incoming fresh air. Tahan explains that this concept is best applied to new construction or to major remodels, due to the extensive sealing and insulation required.
“By doing smaller insulating renovations, you can improve energy consumption and you’ll definitely make a difference,” he said. “But to get to Passive House standards, you really have to either rip out the outside or the inside of the house.”
