Comments by "Tony L" (@tlangdon12) on "Why Do American Homes Suck?" video.

  1. The full concept of Passive Houses is that the home is heated and cooled passively, i.e. without any mechanical or electrical assistance and without consuming any fuels. So cooling is obtained by having windows that can be opened, fresh air supplies that enter the home through a long run of pipe underground (so are tempered), and by shading windows and fitting "E" glass to avoid the structure absorbing too much heat in the summer. Passive heating is acheived by the triple glazed windows that don't allow out heat that the "E" glass has allowed in, having thermal mass to retain heat, and air sealing so that warm air doesn't leak out of the house. Some of the biggest savings to be had are available for very low cost if you take the truely passive approah. But for most climate zones, some active heating is necessary and comfort can be increased with active ventilation.
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  2. Fantastic analysis Matt. Reflecting on your observation that the two most significant blockers to energy efficient are money and political will, many viewers will regard the USA as a very rich country. If this is correct, then the ONLY problem you have is your leaders! Luckily Americans have always been very self-sufficient and willing to ignore a lack of leadership and just get on with it, so I expect the USA will improve, but more slowly than countries where the leadership is proactive.
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  3. That's why owner-built homes are often built to much better energy standards and much better quality. Builders need a return on investment over the 6 months it takes to build the home, owner's only need the return on investment over their lifetime, and even then they might not be bothered about the rate of return as they have had a super-comfortable home to live in.
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