Passive Design. Passive design is design that does not require mechanical heating or cooling. Homes that are passively designed take advantage of natural climate to maintain thermal comfort. Incorporating the principles of passive design in your home: – Significantly improves comfort. – Reduces or eliminates heating and cooling bills. – Reduces greenhouse gas emissions from heating, cooling, mechanical ventilation and lighting. Building envelope is a term used to describe the roof, walls, windows, floors and internal walls of a home. The envelope controls heat gain in summer and heat loss in winter. Its performance in modifying or filtering climatic extremes is greatly improved by passive design.
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