The most recent issue of Philadelphia magazine notes that owners who are doing a full gut renovation on a home can more easily retrofit to the Passive House standard because it is easier to change a structure’s insulation once the walls are already down. However, this upfront cost should be considered more of an investment. The increased efficiency of improved insulation and high-performance triple-paned windows can significantly reduce costs associated with heating and cooling the house, even if it was originally constructed in the 1850s.
This was how architect Jeremy Avellino of Bright Common helped to convince the owners of one Philadelphia townhouse to make the switch to Passive House. Maura Diberardinis, one of the owners, was especially pleased by the opportunity to work toward reducing the building’s carbon footprint and energy load: “We believe in the importance of all these things, and once we were given the opportunity to make better choices, we wanted to put our money where our mouth was.”
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