The second Passive House in Quebec to be certified, it is also one of the most efficient.
The passive house on the edge of the small village of Abercorn in the Eastern Townships, already LEED Platinum, has just been awarded certification by the Passive House Institute US (PHIUS). With four bedrooms on a total of 1980 sq. ft., the house is ideal for comfortable family living.
The final cost of the house is around 15% more than a conventional building of the same size (including the price of certification, inspections and modeling). Its heating demand is 22 kWh/m2. year.
Notable Products
Windows: Klearwall Aluclad
Air Exchanger: Zehnder Comfoair 350 with Comfofond glycol loop
Membranes: Pro-Clima Intello and Solitex Mento
Water Heater: AO Smith Voltex Heat Pump
Heating System: Mitsubishi Mr. Slim
Dryer: Bosch Condensation Dryer
Kitchen Counter & Sink: Avonite
Building Envelope – Insulation Values
- Above-ground walls: R70
- Roof: R112
- Basement walls: R36
- Crawlspace description
- 8-inch frost walls
- 7 inches of EPS foam
- 3.5 inches of ROXUL insulation
- Intello smart air barrier sealed to the slab and connected to the first-floor air barrier
Slab Description
- 3-inch concrete slab
- 10-mil Perminator vapor barrier sealed, extending up walls and sealed to the first-floor air barrier
- 9" of rigid insulation in two staggered layers
- 6 inches of crushed stone
- Perforated pipe connected to a radon mitigation chimney system
Wall Description
- Double 2x4 stud walls
- 5/8” drywall on double strapping
- Intello smart vapor barrier
- 17" dense-pack cellulose insulation
- 1-1/2" R4 exterior fiberboard
- Sealed Mento smart air barrier
- Double strapping and tar-treated hemlock shiplap cladding
Roof Description
- 5/8” drywall on double strapping
- Sealed Intello smart vapor barrier
- Scissor trusses
- 30” dense-pack cellulose insulation
- Mento smart air barrier
- Double strapping
- Galvalume steel roofing
Windows and Exterior Doors
- Klearwall Aluclad (clear wood interior, aluminum exterior)
- Triple glazing
- Argon gas fill
- Low-E coating
- Average R-value: R7
Airtightness: 0.1 ACH at 50 Pa (pressurization and depressurization)
Ventilation
- >90% efficiency (with Comfofond)
- Installed ventilation rate: 96 CFM
- Comfofond glycol loop (300 ft) preheats or preconditions incoming air
Heating
- Two Mitsubishi Mr. Slim units with two heat pumps (Energy Star, ozone-safe refrigerant)
- Domestic water heating: AO Smith Voltex 66-gallon heat pump water heater (Energy Star)
