Treehugger Story on Chicago Passive House Performance During Polar Vortex

Top sustainability website, Treehugger, recently published a story on how the Ellis Passive House in Illinois, Chicago, performed flawlessly during the polar vortex event of 2019, maintaining consistent indoor temperatures of >71 F with minimal increase in kWh demand, thereby proving the inherent resilience of the Passive House standard. Mike Conners of Kenwood Construction Services, the builder on the project, had earlier published a detailed report on the resilience and efficiency exhibited by the Ellis Passive House in the face of the extreme weather conditions.

The Ellis Passive House was originally constructed in the 1890s. It underwent a thorough renovation for modern, green living with ZeroEnergy Design acting as the Certified Passive House Consultant and mechanical designer for the project. It is the first PHI Certified Passive House in Illinois and exemplifies the possibilities of passive house retrofits for older residential masonry buildings in urban settings.

MORE: TREEHUGGER

Illinois Gets Its First Passive House Institute Certified Home

After a thorough renovation and completing a rigorous review process, Ellis Passivhaus in Chicago becomes the first Passive House Institute certified home in Illinois.

A development of Kenwood Construction Services with the Passive House consulting services of  ZeroEnergy Design, the Ellis Passivhaus transforms an antiquated 1890’s rowhome into a progressive, urban, green living environment.  

The newly renovated home now provides exceptional energy performance, healthy indoor air quality, thermal comfort, and long term resilience, all within a Chicago row house aesthetic.  

MORE:  PRESS RELEASE

GREEN HOME TOUR - first certified Passive House in Chicago!

ZeroEnergy Design and Kenwood Construction are pleased to announce that the historic greystone Ellis Passivhaus rowhome, which recently underwent a renovation to become the first certified Passive House in Chicago, is open to the public on the 2018 GreenBuilt Home Tour.

The GreenBuilt Home Tour features 15 exceptional, award-winning, and nationally-recognized homes throughout Illinois, which highlight attractive, affordable, and sustainable building practices. Tickets allow access for two people to all the homes.

The Ellis Passivhaus rowhome includes construction by Kenwood Construction, Passive House Consulting and Mechanical Design by ZeroEnergy Design, Architecture by Richard Kasemsarn, and Photos by Elizabeth Harper. The home has recently been certified under the Passive House EnerPHit standard by the Passive House Institute. 

DATES:  Sat July 28 + Sun July 29, 2018

TOUR:  INFO + TICKETS

Now a Certified Passive House Consultant!

ZeroEnergy Design is proud to announce that Matthew Genaze is now a Certified Passive House Consultant!

The Passive House standard represents exceptional energy performance for homes and buildings. To become a Certified Passive House Consultant (CPHC), professionals must take comprehensive online and in-class instruction, including energy modeling, hygrothermal modeling, and rigorous testing.  67% of ZED design staff are now CPHCs.

As a Project Manager & Designer at ZeroEnergy Design, Matthew regularly utilizes his Passive House skill set.  He recently completed the design of a new zero energy home in Newton, MA, and is now overseeing it's construction, as well as working on several other high performance projects.