A new eco-friendly apartment complex with a passive house design in Pennsylvania does not require its renters to pay energy bills. The entire building is energy-efficient due to the way it's constructed and its use of solar panels, per The Philadelphia Enquirer.
The four-story building is equipped with apartments with one, two, or three bedrooms. Each of the 32 apartments also includes smart thermostats, low-flow toilets, heat pumps, and induction stoves, cultivating a completely energy-efficient building where renters pay less for more. The building is also less likely to mobilize toxic carbon chemicals from gas stoves and appliances, reducing air pollution.
Meanwhile, the pivotal solar panels sit on the roof of the building along with others in the parking lot. The solar panels generate enough energy to power the building and the electric vehicle charging stations in the parking lot.
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Construction on the building itself focused on making the structure well-insulated and airtight while providing fresh, filtered air and extracting fresh air. This saves on energy costs, as less energy is needed to heat and cool the building.
"We think [Passive House] is a model for us," Bob Hankin, president and chief executive officer at Exton-based developer Hankin Group, told the Inquirer."I really want to do a whole community like this."
The local company that developed the apartment has used green building techniques before, but Passive House is the first of its kind. Green buildings are growing, according to the U.S. Green Building Council, which said they are seeing "an increasing commitment to sustainability in the building industry and that green building certifications have become more popular," according to the Inquirer.
Environmentalists believe this is due to the new Inflation Reduction Act, which awards tax benefits to homeowners who update their homes with green energy.
Lisa White, the co-executive director of Phius, the company that certifies passive houses, told the Inquirer, "Ultimately, [a passive building] is just a better building for tenants. It's more comfortable, quieter, healthier."
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