Yellow Springs Passive House

Andrew Kline (L) and Alex Melamed of Green Generation Building Company, LLC on the construction site of what is believed to be the first passive house in Ohio.

The 1800 sq. ft. interior will include a loft space.

A large kitchen window looks out the rear of the house.

Just a few years ago, the passive house was Europe's best kept secret. Pioneered in Germany, the concept relies on super insulation to reduce heating, air conditioning and other energy costs. The idea was slow to catch hold in the U.S. and, according to Andrew Kline, President of Green Generation Building Company, there may be less than thirty such homes in the country today. He believes the passive house his company is building on Dayton Street between High Street and Bill Duncan Park will be the first in Ohio.

As the Blog arrived to get the story, Pat Murphy of Community Solutions, a long-time advocate of passive housing in Yellow Springs was on site. Murphy said Community Solutions has been filming the progress of the construction.

The construction of the 1800 sq. ft. house is indeed unique. According to Green Generation Design Director Alex Melamed, the design was sent to Enercept, a company in South Dakota, which constructed elements of the building, including fully insulated sections of wall (SIPs for structural insulated panels), which were then shipped to Yellow Springs on two tractor trailers. The walls are 14' thick, the roof 24' and the floor 16' of solid Styrofoam sandwiched between oriented strand board (OSB).

In Germany, Kline said, the cost of the highly insulated construction has only resulted in a 10% increase in building costs. It remains to be seen how that will translate in the U.S. But, energy savings will be so significant that Kline says, 'The cost of utilities is built into the sale price.' For the house on Dayton Street, he estimates heating costs to be $87.00 per year.

The house, which is a demonstration project as well as a financial venture, is now available for purchase and is priced from $270,00 - $290,000 depending on its level of finish. The sooner a purchaser commits, the more input he will have in the way the house is finished. Kline expects the house to be completed by the end of June. There will be an open house.

Andrew Kline is the son of local woman Martha Kline and the grandson of noted local architect Jack Kline, who designed the Yellow Springs High School building.

To keep up with the progress of the construction, visit Yellow Springs Passive House on Facebook or www.greengenerationbuilding.com.

Click here for more photos.