Passive Solar Windows Cost

Research shows that including passive solar options increases the cost of a new build by between 0 and 3.

Passive solar windows cost.

In simple terms a passive solar home collects heat as the sun shines through south facing windows and retains it in materials that store heat known as thermal mass. Zola has supplied more us passive house projects than any other window manufacturer. Passive house window options. Passive house certified components including windows and heat recovery ventilation systems help builders and designers meet the passive house standard.

A passive solar home collects heat as the sun shines through south facing windows and retains it in materials that store heat known as thermal mass. The share of the home s heating load that the passive solar design can meet is called the passive solar fraction and depends on the area of glazing and the amount of thermal mass. You might be thinking wow that seems like a lot of money. That s quite a lot of money but the returns on that extra investment can be astronomical.

Also the knowledge of passive house detailing within the zola company is worth a lot of that difference. On a home costing 250 000 to build that means at most 7 500 extra. While passive house cost premium estimates from experienced builders vary from 7 15 it is debatable whether this is actually a premium. To really dig deep into solar windows costs let s take a look at sharp s offering which we actually have some cost info for.

Zola has supplied more us passive house projects than any other window manufacturer. Zola created the first passive house window znc to be certified by both phius and phi and has led the north american high performance window industry since the inception of the passive house movement here. We offer passive house windows in aluminum upvc wood and clad wood frames including our znc line the first window to be certified by both phius and phi. Perhaps a better perspective on passive house cost is to view passive house design as an opportunity for a return on that investment over time.

Certified passive house buildings now account for 2 million square feet of building space in north america representing a threefold increase over 2015 according to a study by the pembina. The loewen double pane window is a 20 savings 9 600 but it performs less than half as well so it doesn t seem worth the savings. Well designed passive solar homes also provide daylight all year and comfort during the cooling season through carefully designed overhangs and reflective coatings on windows exterior walls and. 5 factors of passive house cost to consider.