Massive Passive: The Challenge of Incorporating Passive Energy Strategies in Developer Single-Family Suburban Housing

Abstract

Measurable success of sustainable energy systems in construction will require application on a sizable scale. However, wind and solar are still a very small percentage of building energy systems that rely heavily on fossil fuels. Single-family housing accounts for a huge amount of residential construction (theUS Census Bureau reports levels of over one million single family home starts per year) yet passive houses make up only a tiny percentage of overall housing construction. With housing development companies producing the vast majority of new house construction, this segment of the market is prime for applying passive strategies that can affect major change in energy conservation. Yet developers typically design entire subdivisions with no regard to orientation to sun, wind and thermal efficiency.Why have developers stayed out of the passive energy housing market and what would it take to convince them of the feasibility of sustainable single-family housing? And why aren’t architects more involved in suburban housing? Plenty of well-trained professionals who could lend their expertise have washed their hands of developer housing.