Sustainability

At Shelter, we follow the Passive House approach to maximizing operational energy performance. After constructing a computer energy model to determine the optimal specifications for your climate, we create an airtight building shell superinsulated at up to R35 at the foundation, R45 at the walls, and R45 at the roof. We specify ultra-high performance windows and doors and locate them where they’ll collect free heat from the sun. And we install a heat-recovery ventilation system that delivers a constant flow of fresh air while capturing 88 percent of the heat in the air it exhausts to the outdoors. A Shelter home uses 20 percent of the energy consumed by a conventional code-compliant house, while offering a healthier, more comfortable living environment.

Passive House design allocates resources differently from conventional construction—investing more in the building shell and less in mechanical equipment—but it need not cost more up-front, and it yields a positive return over the life of the building. A single-family home built this way can be heated on the coldest winter day with the equivalent of a hairdryer. That translates to smaller, less expensive heating and cooling systems, and lower operating costs.

The result is a building that performs at the highest level—predictably, dependably, and cost-effectively. Add a small array of photovoltaic panels, and your Shelter can deliver net-zero operational energy performance, making it the perfect choice for remote and off-grid sites.