On the morning of June 7, 2023, New York City woke to a sky of orange haze as the smoke from Canadian wildfires blew in from hundreds of miles away. It was a health hazard - city authorities said the air quality had not been as bad since the 1960s. That day, Chad Dickerson, a former CEO of Etsy, put up a number of air quality monitors around his Brooklyn townhouse. “It was pretty much 100 percent pure the whole time,” he says. Dickerson’s house escaped the intense wildfire smoke because of one c

Quote: " It’s “designed to be as energy efficient as possible, typically with top-notch insulation and a perfect seal that prevents outside air from penetrating the home”

  • Jo Miran@lemmy.ml
    393·
    15 days ago

    You have to vent your house. Indoor pollution is often much higher and much more toxic than people imagine.

    • kata1yst@sh.itjust.works
      38·
      15 days ago

      Usually passive houses come with some sort of air exchanger system. Fresh air with minimal efficiency impact.

      • DigitalNirvana@lemm.ee
        23·
        15 days ago

        Yes, there are devices that allow one to exchange air, while scavenging heat, so there is very little loss. Couple that with decent air filtration HEPA, etc, and you can maintain your indoor air quality.

    • OminousOrange@lemmy.ca
      19·
      15 days ago

      Passive House has a minimum ventilation rate of 0.3 ACH, but minimum code requirements can also come into play. Ventilation for health and hygiene is very much a consideration of the standard.