One-Watt-Houses™ can be heated with about one watt per square foot on the coldest day of the year. No conventional heating systems are needed. Instead, One-Watt-Houses are heated and cooled passively most times of the year. This targeted approach is inspired by German Passivhauses and adjusted for local conditions.
One-Watt-Houses™ require very little heat on a 0°F day.
Imagine…
• a 2000 ft2 house heated with only twenty 100W incandescent light bulbs or one powerful hair dryer!
• a 300 ft2 living room heated with 10 candles.
• Spending less than $1 a day to heat an average-sized Midwestern home.
Prioritizing Energy Efficiency
The best and least expensive way to live “green” starts with using less energy. Saving energy is extremely economical when compared to other ecological conservation measures.
One-Watt-Houses™ are designed specifically reduce total overall energy demand by 60 to 90% compared to typical Midwestern homes.
In an average Midwestern house, 65% of all energy used in the home is for space heating and cooling.
Space heating and cooling requirements for a One-Watt-House™ are:
• 10 times lower than for older homes, and
• 6 times lower than for newer homes built to current code!
Our Approach to Extreme Energy Efficiency
One-Watt-Houses™ achieve superior levels of energy efficiency through building design and optimization of the thermal envelope. The principles of our design are simple:
1. Build a fully-enclosed, super-insulated thermal envelope (R40-R60).
2. Capitalize on passive solar energy and the net solar gain provided by windows (Ug<0.15).
3. Ensure the building is air-tight to protect it from variances in outdoor temperature (ACH at 50Pa < 0.6).
4. Include a highly efficient heat-recovery ventilation system (η > 85%).
The One-Watt-House™ Process
CTI’s unique, holistic process integrates custom architectural design and engineering to create the One-Watt-House™. We work with you to design a home that captures your individual style and preferences, while ensuring the house optimizes energy efficiency targets and total life cycle building performance. Our process pays close attention to the consumption of natural resources, such as water and energy, during the actual building of the house.