Some may consider that superinsulation is an alternative to passive solar design (although many building designs include features of both with special attention to preventing summer overheating). Superinsulation is one of the ancestors of the passive house approach. A related approach to efficient building design may be zero energy building

There is no set definition of superinsulation, but superinsulated buildings typically include:

* Very thick insulation (typically R40 walls and R60 roof)

* Detailed insulation where walls meet roofs, foundations, and other walls

* Airtight construction, especially around doors and windows

* a heat recovery ventilator to provide fresh air

* No large windows facing any particular direction (unlike passive solar, which uses large windows facing the sun and fewer/smaller windows facing other directions).

* No large amounts of thermal mass

* No active or passive solar heat (but may have solar water heating and/or hot water heat recycling)

* No conventional heating system, just a small backup heater