B[2015•湖北八校高三第二次联考〗Imagineahousethatkeepsitselfwarminthewinter?time.Thinkofthesavingsintermsoffuelbillsandunfriend?lyemissions.Suchhousesinfactexistcalled"passivehou?ses".Theconceptofthesehighlyenergy-efficientbuildingstookrootinthe1990sbeforeslowlyconsolidatingasanicheconstruction(生态位构建)conceptinthe2000s.Arepassivehousesnowactivelymovingintothemainstreamassustain?ablebuildings?

ForBrianMcGarryaneconomicslecturerwhobuiltafamilyhousebasedonpassivehousingcriteriainthePyreneesthisyeartheargumentslookconvincing.Ashisfirstfullwinterinthelowenergyhousedrawsinweaskedhimtokeepusinformed.Dopassivehouseswork?

IhadneverheardofapassivehouseinFebruary2012whenIpurchasedaplotofland.NordidIexpectthatIwouldbepersuadedtobuildapre-constructed，custom-designedhousebasedonenergy-efficientpassivehousecriteria.Itpromisedtobeeasierandquickertobuildcheapertorunandmorecomfortabletolivein.Theobjectivewastoincor?poratethefundamentalconceptsofpassiveenergymanage?mentintomyproject:anairtightandhighlyinsulatedbuild?ingenvelope;largesouth-facingdoubleortriple-glazedwin?dows(ifpossiblefilledwithargongas)thatpassivelycap?turetheenergyofthesun;aheatrecoveryventilation(通风设备)systemtoprovidefreshair;andasimplelow-costheat?ingsystemconsistingofamodernwood-burningstoveabathroomheaterandaportableradiatorbackupforwhenthesundoesn'tshineandtemperaturesdecline.Nosignificantlimitationswereplacedonthedesignandithadexcellenten?vironmentalcredentials(认证).Moreoverthecostwasnomorethanaconventionalbuild.

Aftersixmonthsinusethehouseisprovingtobebothcheaptorunandremarkablycomfortable—stayingcoolinthehotsummerwaseffortlessaslongasthewindowswereshutteredorshadedfromthesun.Nowstayingwarminthecoldhigh-altitudeDecemberclimatealsoseemseasysofar.

WinterarrivedinforceinthePyreneesinNovemberwithabundantsnowfallsandtemperaturesaslowasminus8°Celsius.Thoughearlydaysthehousehasrespondedwell：thestoveislitduringcoldeveningsbuttheportableradiatorhasnotyetbeenneeded.Thistypeofconstructionseemsnot