Andrew Michler’s Passive House

During Enrico’s recent visit to Colorado, we finally had the chance to visit Andrew Michler’s passive house. At about 2.000 m (6.400 ft), in the mountains near Fort Collins, Colorado, this building is capable of remaining comfortable even in case of a power outage, with an interior temperature of about 18°C (64°F) with no heating.

compactness ratio of a building example

The compactness ratio or Form Factor of a building

When addressing the energy efficiency of a building, one of the most important players in the game is the compactness of its thermal envelope. Is there a way to measure the compactness of a building? Yes: it’s the compactness ratio.