Here we share some observations about and snapshots of the Passive House we had built in Oakland County, Michigan. All photographs were taken by us unless otherwise noted.

Today we had the pleasure of hosting a forum of professionals with a keen interest in Passive House technology and building practices. The occasion was the balancing of the Zehnder ComfoAir Ventilation System by Zehnder representative Kevin Rapp. Ed Shank, the engineer who served as energy consultant for our home, was present for the commissioning, as was Ed Marion, an active proponent and practitioner of Passive House construction from Oakville, Ontario. Chris Coon and Christina Snyder took time off from building their Passive House (documented at MIpassivehouse.us) to join the group. Christina, one of the first 13 Certified Passive House Consultants trained in the United States, is the architect who introduced us to the Passive House standard two years ago. Two representatives from Mitsubishi Electric, Scott Ansley and Greg Driscoll, and two representatives from Young Supply, Steve Niezur and Dennis Kurzawa, were present. The event was organized by our builder, Michael Klinger. Our house is very efficiently ventilated with a Zehnder energy recovery ventilator and will be almost entirely heated and cooled by two Mitusbishi mini split units.

During and after lunch, the group discussed a wide array of topics pertinent to Passive Houses, ranging from engineering details to public acceptance issues.