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Comment by Gibbon1 | Hacker News Reader

> PassivHaus standards

The PassivHaus stuff is a really good example of the derangement you get when people try to optimize for only one metric. PassivHaus's are expensive, mandate the use of petroleum based insulation (you're living in a plastic burger box), prone to water intrusion mold and sick building syndrome and the supposed efficiency gains disappear when you open a window.

Telling is the PassivHaus nutters response to builders wanting to use solar panels to build houses with low external energy needs. AKA why spend $100k on insulation when you can put a $20k worth of solar on the roof and a ground sourced heat pump. PassivHaus response is to get regulators to ban that option.

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Even a cursory investigation or education of passivhaus concepts would show this to be nonsense.

Passivhaus is not focused on one metric. To achieve passivhaus there are many metrics measured. Energy use, overheating, air quality, thermal bridging... The list goes on. I'm not sure what one metric you're referring to.

Passivhaus does not mandate plastic based insulation. Many are built with cellulose, wood fibre,straw bales...

They are not in any way more prone to water intrusion any more than any other building.

They are far less likely to suffer sick building syndrome because ventilation standards are far higher than for 'normal' houses.

You can open the windows if you want. Sure, if you do it in -10 temperatures you lose some heat.

Passivhaus 'nutters' are generally apathetic about PV. You don't need PV ; simplicity is part of the point. The marginal cost on insulation is generally pretty low. The difficult but it's getting builders diligent enough for the challenge.

Hope that helps to encourage you to continue researching the subject.

> Passivhaus does not mandate plastic based insulation... wood fibre,straw bales...

So, I presume that in the case of a fire, they go up like a match?

i think you're confusing a haystack with a compressed straw bale - IIRC the fire resistance of a compressed straw bale is excellent. it singes on the outside but it's v difficult to burn through.

Plus, regs in your locale should cover this, but always good to DYOR.

There's a lot of greenwashing in the insulation business. Rockwool uses coal to melt stone, binds the fibers with formaldehyde, and puts the coal ash waste in the final product. That's not something I want deteriorating in my walls.

It's amazing to me that aerogel windows/skylights/multi-panes haven't gotten more attention in this arena. What if your window was as good an insulator as your wall? What if it was better? What if you could have translucent skylights heat the house without losing any (effectively) heat through them?

What happens if you like having the windows open?

Where is your sacred R value now?

When you open a window, do you open every single window in your house? If not, the greenhouse effect keeps working through the others.

> PassivHaus response is to get regulators to ban that option

Can you clarify what specifically this refers to - i.e. a particular law or regulation?

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