Heating(1) and cooling(2) equipment are the biggest users(3) of energy in American homes. And homes are responsible for about one fourth(4) of the nation’s total energy use. But there are(5) surprisingly(6) simple ways(7) to deeply cut(8) energy use, its effect on the environment(9) and its cost.
David Peabody and his team at Peabody Architects design(10) passive homes. He says the design of a passive house aims to reduce(11) energy demand(12) to its lowest possible level(12).
Passive houses use no solar, geothermal or wind(14) energy equipment. But they are extremely energy efficient.
Mr. Peabody says passive houses cut heating and cooling costs(15) by about(16) ninety percent. But what sets(17) his design apart(17) from other “green homes” is that it looks like(18) any other(19) home.”
That is the beauty(20) of the passive house approach(21) is that you don’t have to build(22) in a particular way(23) with any particular materials or to any particular style.
That’s why(24) in our case we decided to try to do something to prove that point(25) to make something that was very traditionally American.”
Peabody Architects says it is building the first passive home in the
Washington, DC, area. In Arlington, Virginia, Roger Lin and his brother
Eric are also building one. Roger Lin of Southern Exposure(26) Homes explains(27) that windows are sealed(28) against leaks(29) and have three layers of glass(30).
The windows are airtight(31). On a cold winter(32) day, the temperature inside(33) the unfinished(34) home is a comfortable twelve degrees Celsius(35).
David Peabody says you can find(36) passive homes all over the world(37).
“North Africa, for example, has a passive house community designing for very hot dry(38) climates(39) and that’s a whole(40) other area of exploration for passive house.”The first passive design was an apartment building(41) in Darmstadt, Germany.
Two physicists(42) helped develop(43) it about twenty years ago. Passive houses use some specialized materials. These include precast concrete(44) panels(45) and insulation(46).
They also(47) need to have special air treatment(48) systems. Supporters(49)
say they cost only about five or eight percent more than traditional
homes. But they use ten percent of the energy for heating and cooling.
The designs are passive because they do not use geothermal, sun or wind energy for power(50).
But Passive House Institute US says even(51) greater savings(52) can be reached(53) with additions(54) like solar water heating systems.
They might call(56) that an active passive house. For VOA Special English, I’m Alex Villarreal.
- Heating = aquecimento
- Cooling = refrigeração
- Users = usuários
- about one fourth = aproximadamente ¼
- there are = existem
- surprisingly = surpreendentemente
- ways = formas
- deeply cut = cortar profundamente
- environment = meio ambiente
- design = projetar
- aims to reduce = objetiva reduzir
- demand = demanda, exigencia
- lowest possible level = nível mais baixo possível
- wind = vento
- costs = custos
- by about = em aproximadamente
- sets apart = separar, diferenciar
- looks like = parece com
- any other = qualquer outra
- beauty = beleza
- approach = enfoque, abordagem
- build = construir
- particular way = forma específica
- That’s why = é porisso que
- Point = ponto de vista
- Exposure = exposição
- Explains = explica
- Sealed = lacrado(a), selado(a)
- against leaks = contra vazamentos
- layers of glass = camadas de vidro
- airtight = hermetic
- winter = inverno
- inside = dentro
- unfinished = inacabado(a)
- degrees Celsius = graus Celsius
- can find = pode encontrar
- all over the world = por todo o mundo
- dry = seco
- climates = climas
- whole = completo(a)
- apartment building = prédio de apartamentos
- physicists = físicos
- develop = desenvolver
- precast concrete = concreto pré-moldado
- panels = painéis
- insulation = isolamento
- also = também
- air treatment = tratamento de ar
- Supporters = defensores
- Power = energia
- Even = até mesmo
- greater savings = economias maiores
- reached = alcançadas
- additions = adições
- might call = poderiam chamar