When Storm Éowyn hit, the immediate concern was for safety, both on the roads and in houses, with falling trees representing a real danger to life and limb. As time passed, however, another danger revealed itself, a creeping one but no less a danger for that: the ability of our homes to remain true shelters in the face of our fragile infrastructure.
Across Ireland, North and South, thousands of homes, primarily though not exclusively in rural areas, were left without power and, in cases where homes are heated electrically, without heat.
It soon became political. Calls went out for a rethink on green building, with some arguing the storm proved that only combustible heating, such as wood stoves, could save the day.
This need not be the case, though, as one naturally-insulated, certified passive house in the drumlins of Co Cavan proved.
The homeowner, Niall Crossan of Ecological Building Systems, and his family were among those left without power, but unlike many others, their house’s thoughtful design meant they were able to weather the aftermath of the storm without freezing or leaving.
A passive house is a building designed to maintain a comfortable indoor climate with minimal energy consumption for heating and cooling, achieved through meticulous insulation, airtight construction, and efficient ventilation. But is it technology? Perhaps so.
After all, technology’s root word, the Greek techne, refers neither to cogs and bolts nor to bits and bytes, but to making or doing, blending skill, technique, and ability to produce or achieve something.
In a classic example of techne, then, Crossan’s house exemplifies this principle.
“The technology is the passive house standard, or, putting it another way, the technology is a building that mitigates the need for technology,” said Jeff Colley, editor of Passive House Plus magazine, which features the house in its current issue.
Colley, who is also a consultant with Zero Ambitions Partners, said the combination of high standards and clever thinking meant the house removed a risk that was all over the news during the aftermath of the storm.
“While this was happening, there were all these, understandable, complaints about people having no means to heat their houses, but from this a narrative emerged that said, ‘we need to all install stoves in our houses so that we can burn stuff’.
“Well, here’s one house that has no stove at all, has a family living in it, and was perfectly comfortable,” he said.
Colley said the stove argument was frustrating as combustion particulate matter is a health concern.
“Niall Crossan has a digital thermometer and [outside] it dropped to minus temperatures at night, rising to six degrees during the day. The coldest interior temperature in a living area during this time was just over 20 degrees, and it was no lower than 17 degrees in north-facing utility rooms,” Colley said.
At the same time, neighbouring houses, including more recently-built houses, saw occupants forced to move out due to the lack of heat.
“Think about it: this house had no power whatsoever for six days, and yet the temperature was stable at exactly the level we demand for comfort,” he said.