Super-insulating SeriousWindows can help reduce energy bills in two ways. They can reduce heating and cooling loads by reducing the amount of heat that is conducted through the window, as well as the amount of heat that is leaked around the window (known as “infiltration").

Congratulations to architect Dennis Wedlick!  The Hudson Passive House is now officially the first certified passive house in New York State.  The Hudson House not only meets the rigorous requirements of the Passive House Standard, like an air tight envelope with ACH < 0.6 and a 90% reduction in heating and cooling energy, but it is also a stunningly beautiful and supremely livable home.

One of the most stringent performance requirements of the Passive House Standard is the air tightness of the building shell.  Air tightness refers to the ability of the building to prevent air infiltration through unsealed joints in the structure and around windows.  Air tightness plays a central role in the performance of a Passive House because air infiltration leads to uncontrolled heat gain and heat loss and lowers the ability of the house to heat and cool itself passively.  While refreshing a home’s air through ventilation is important for indoor air quality, a leaky home ventilates poorly, letting too much cold air in during the winter and not enough during the summer.  It is better to have an airtight home with a whole-house ventilation system.