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A Better House: cost-effective, all-electric, net-zero homes
Often when people think about high performance homes, they associate them with a high price tag. Bruce Murdoch’s houses run counter to this stereotype. He finds cost savings by carefully planning the shape and size of buildings and by using heat pumps.
How I quit feeling guilty about not working out enough
Riding an e‑bike turns errands and commuting into effortless, stealth exercise. When movement is the easiest option, the not exercising guilt disappears—not because we’re more disciplined, but because we don’t need to be.
Can missing middle housing ever be truly affordable on the North Shore?
Building more homes on a single lot doesn’t make housing truly affordable in the same way that it once was. But it does make homes incrementally cheaper.
A better house: tweaking the heating system
The Cornwall’s new passive house used a combination of a buffer tank and a heat recovery ventilator with their heat pump. It took some tweaking to make the system work in all temperatures.
A better house: harvesting solar energy in Canyon Heights
The Cornwalls, who live in Canyon Heights in their passive home serviced by a heat pump, reduced their hydro draw by 44% with solar panels, more efficient appliances and passive design and construction.