Tour CT's first certified Passive House

As part of the Solarize Harwinton initiative, Paul and Diane Honig are opening their home to neighbors who want to learn more about reducing their environmental impact and taking control of their home’s energy costs. In 2012 they set out to build a home that would produce more energy than it uses using the rigorous German building standard called Passive House, and became the First Certified Passive House in Connecticut, as well as the winner of the 2012 CT Zero Energy Challenge.

As solar ambassadors for Solarize Harwinton, they are inviting the public to come and experience firsthand what it is like to have a solar PV system on their home. Harwinton residents can learn about the discounted pricing and state and federal incentives offered through the Solarize Harwinton program; all CT residents are invited to attend.

According to Paul Honig, “Our house is very comfortable. It's great for the environment and best of all, it has close to zero costs for energy. We'll be enjoying these benefits for the lifespan of the house. I used to work on Wall St and now teach math. When I looked at the numbers before building our house, energy efficiency and solar were a no brainer. In the 3 years since we built, prices on solar have dropped 30% making it an even better deal. I'd encourage all my neighbors in Harwinton to take a close look at the Solarize Harwinton program.”

Two tours are offered on Saturday April 30th, starting at noon and 2:30 pm. The tours will take place at their home at 71 Town Line Road, Harwinton. Some GPS systems lead to the wrong place when the actual address is used, so visitors should follow directions to across the street, 80 Town Line Road in New Hartford.

The tour will include information on the solar PV array as well as the solar domestic hot water system made by Paul Honig himself. The family will also share their Passive House design choices including the super-insulated walls and attic, high performance windows, lighting and appliances, and the mechanical ventilation system that maintains good indoor air quality without losing heat to the outside.

Honig explains, “When we built our home in 2012 one goal was a zero carbon footprint in order to have a positive impact on the environment. We got half-way there by following the German Passive House standard, significantly reducing the amount of energy required to heat and cool our house. We got the rest of the way there by going solar. It's really neat to live in a house that produces all the energy it uses.”

Passive houses are meticulously designed homes that aim to cut down the energy demand as much as 80 percent from traditional homes by focusing on the building envelope. By focusing on a well-sealed, super-insulated home and capturing heat from the sun using passive solar, there is no need for a traditional HVAC system. Instead, there are two heat pumps to keep the home cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The heat pumps are powered by the solar PV array on their roof.

Please let Harwinton’s Recycling Coordinator, Terri Christenson of the Solarize Harwinton campaign, know if you plan on attending by calling 860-485-2784 x 140 or emailing recycling@harwinton.us. Registration is not required, but is encouraged.