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.
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