I heard you can now build a house in New England without a furnace. Is this true?

In the recent Greater Boston Builder supplement to Banker & Tradesman there is an article which describes a building that can be built without a furnace. The house is called a Passive Home. This house is built using an ultra thick insulation for an airtight shell, complex door and windows systems, and heat generated by passive sunlight, energy-efficient appliances, and even the occupants body to maintain sufficient heat within the building to keep it comfortable. The only energy needed is what is required to power in average hair dryer, about 1000 watts. A number of these houses have been built in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Scandinavia so there is about a 20 year history. The first of these types of homes in the U.S. was recently built in Illinois, and given the social incentive to lessen one’s carbon footprint and at the same time to save money, and lessen the flow of money to those countries which support terrorism, this type of construction should become popular quite quickly just as the hybrid automobile has become popular. Green buildings are both socially responsible and cost-effective and we should continue to see this kind of innovation in the years to come as the demand for energy efficient products continues to grow.

 

If you have questions about this or any other legal matter, please contact Tom Bennett at (617) 531-6574 or tvb@barronstad.com.