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V O L . X X V N O. X I I I J U N E 2 4 , 2 0 1 9 16 I n 2014, when Chris Corson founded his passive-house design and con- struction company, Ecocor High Performance Buildings, his customers was largely made up of scientists. "Probably the first 10 passive houses I built were for people in some sort of field like electrical engineers or com- puter science," he says. "ey were peo- ple who, by the nature of their training, understood the benefits of passive house right out of the gate." Corson, as one of the first passive house builders in Maine, saw potential for a broader market. His company is the first certified manufacturer of passive house components outside of Europe. It produces wall and roof pan- els for minimum-waste, saving time on the job site with pre-assembly. Ecocor uses natural materials with zero volatile organic compounds and sources wood from within 200 miles. Corson's persistence paid off. Now he's doing several projects at a time, in Maine and beyond, with commissions coming from as far as the West Coast. Initially focusing on single-family residential, his market is growing to multi-family resi- dential and he plans to expand to larger commercial projects with the develop- ment of customizable panels. Interest in the construction tech- nique and its energy-saving potential has broadened significantly over the years, he says. "We've seen a steep increase in pas- sive house projects between 2010 and 2019 in the United States," says Corson. "It continues to grow." Climate change buzz Construction of energy-saving structures is also gaining ground in Maine. At one time, the concepts behind "passive house" and "high-performance" construction had the attention mainly of energy-minded consumers. Today, there's general aware- ness of the terms, which indicate precise construction standards to minimize energy use. Interest is pushed by factors like proven outcomes coupled with grow- ing concern about climate change and the potential to reduce carbon footprint. "Ten years ago there were three or four of us who were serious about it," says Brenan Black, co-owner of Black Brothers Builders in Rockport. "In the first five years, no one knew what we were talking about. We had to take time to tell people, step-by-step, what we were doing and why. People are much more aware now." Bob Muller, the owner of Landicity Builders in Brunswick, recounts recent interest in Brunswick "eco-conservation" residential subdivision Douglas Ridge. ere, he's building high-performance homes, using energy-efficient, air-sealed components manufactured by Unity Homes of Walpole, N.H. Douglas Ridge homes range from $420,000 for a two-bedroom model to $585,000 for P H O T O / W W W. E C O C O R . U S F O C U S Ten years ago there were three or four of us who were serious about it. In the first five years, no one knew what we were talking about. We had to take time to tell people, step-by-step, what we were doing and why. People are much more aware now. — Brenan Black Black Brothers Builders C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 1 8 » Common terms Passive building Design principles – continuous insulation, no thermal bridging, airtight envelope, high-performance windows, heat- and moisture-recovery ventilation, minimal space conditioning system – to attain a quantifiable and rigorous level of energy efficiency within a specific quantifiable comfort level. S O U R C E : Passive House Institute High performance A building that optimizes performance attributes like energy conservation, environment, safety, security, durability, accessibility, cost-benefit, productivity, sustainability, functionality and operations. S O U R C E : National Institute of Building Sciences Zero-energy homes High-performance homes that are so energy efficient that a renewable energy system can offset most or all annual energy consumption. S O U R C E : U.S. Department of Energy LEED Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a green rating system for healthy, highly efficient and cost-saving buildings. S O U R C E : U.S. Green Building Council Ecocor, which is based in Searsmont, manufactures components like those pictured here for the construction of energy-efficient 'passive houses.' High-performance housing B y L a u R i e s C h R e i B e R Demand for 'passive houses' has driven aggressive growth

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