The construction team has completed the building of the first passive house in Georgia.

Shamby, Georgia (Atlanta News First) - Construction crews in Shamby have completed work on the first passive house in Georgia. This house has officially received certification from the Passive House Institute US (PHIUS), which certifies buildings that meet sustainable development standards. Karl Seville, who has been working in the construction and housing renovation field for over 40 years, says that this week he conducted testing on a passive house for the first time. "I became a passive house evaluator about 15 years ago," says Seville. "Now I have the opportunity to work on a passive house, as this is the first such house in Georgia." To obtain PHIUS certification, the two-story house in DeKalb County underwent a rigorous quality control process.

“We checked the air leakage level in the house,” Seville added. He also mentioned that thanks to the thoughtful ventilation system, cold air is retained longer while hot air does not enter, making it more energy-efficient than typical buildings. “According to Georgia's building codes, up to five air changes per hour are permissible,” Seville noted.

Goals and achievements

Andrew Goings, a custom builder and team leader at Home and Made Custom Home Builders, who is overseeing this project, has been working diligently for the past two years to ensure that the house is reliably insulated and airtight. His goal is to create higher quality homes in Georgia for the future.

• Energy savings:“We strive to convey to future homeowners how significant energy savings and long-term cost reductions can be,” he said.
• Savings compared to regular houses:According to Goings, PHIUS-certified passive houses provide energy savings of 40 to 60% compared to conventional homes.

Development of the concept in Georgia

Considering that there is only one other PHIUS-certified home in the southeastern states of the USA, Georgia is now the second state to embrace the concept of zero-carbon eco-friendly construction. "This is a huge achievement for us and for the PHIUS organization as a whole," says Goings. "We are really starting to develop this direction in the South."

The couple has already purchased this house, paying 1.3 million dollars for it. Home and Made Custom Home Builders also plans to build two additional passive houses in the area. All rights reserved 2024 WANF.