Bergen Record: Teaneck Man Will Build a Passive House Without a Furnace

The Bergen Record reported that a neighbor of ours in Teaneck, Ray Evangelista, plans to build a "Passive House" that is energy efficient enough that it will not need  a furnace. The house will have thick walls and a heat pump. The house won't be in Teaneck. The article is, "N.J.’s first true ‘passive house’ will have no need for a furnace":

Teaneck resident Ray Evangelista is building a 4,400-square-foot, two-story colonial that’s got everything a homeowner could want — except a furnace.
Ray Evangelista, right, of 411 Energy Services, LLC, and William G. Severino, Architect, LLC, left, discuss plans for the first-ever passive home in New Jersey.

The house has been designed so that there will be no need to heat the home in winter or cool it in summer. Energy costs will be as little as 10 percent of a traditional home, said Evangelista, who owns a company that provides energy audits to homeowners.

It will be the first home ever built in New Jersey to be certified a true "passive house," and only the 17th in the nation to earn that designation.

"We’re at the onset of what could be a revolution in house design," said William Severino, the Little Ferry architect whom Evangelista hired for the project.

The home will have 14-inch-thick walls instead of the standard 5 inches, thicker-than-normal windows, and joints that will be fitted, taped and sealed with far greater precision that a typical house. The house is designed to be airtight, and the wider walls provide room for extra cellulose insulation.

All those relatively minor differences will work together to create the biggest difference of all — no need for heating or cooling....more...

Want to help build the house? CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS! If you would like to participate in the construction of New Jersey's first passive house, Call Ray Evangelista at 201-735-7600.