If you are looking for a sustainable building, you may have heard of Passivhaus. It is an advanced green building design that requires 90 percent less energy to heat than a typical home. However, it can be very expensive. In this article, we will discuss the benefits of Passivhaus as well as its climate-specific requirements. This design is becoming increasingly popular in the US and Europe, as more people seek to live more sustainably.
Passivhaus is an eco-friendly building design
A home designed to achieve a perfect balance of temperature and air tightness is known as a Passivhaus. The term comes from German, and it means ‘passive house’. This eco-friendly building design concept was conceived in the late 1980s, and it draws its inspiration from ancient dwellings. The key aim of a Passivhaus building is to optimise the airtightness and insulation of the building envelope and stabilize the internal temperature.
The idea for the Passive House was born during the 1970s oil crisis, when the US government funded research to decrease our reliance on oil. After oil prices dipped, interest in building energy-efficient homes waned and Americans went back to driving gas-guzzling cars. However, Europeans continued to develop and promote the Passivhaus movement, and in 2003 a German architect completed the first Passivhaus in the United States. The result was the creation of the Passivhaus Institute in the US, which is dedicated to the promotion and use of this eco-friendly building design.
The first Passive House was built in Germany in 1990, and the first US Passive House was completed by Katrin Klingenberg in Urbana, Illinois in 2003. Since then, the number of passive buildings has increased dramatically. Today, over 60,000 passive buildings exist worldwide. Most of them follow the aesthetics of European architecture. The Passive House Institute US Standard is considered the gold standard for this type of building, and U.S. builders can apply to be certified by the institute.
A Passive House is one of the most energy-efficient buildings in the world. Its construction method requires about 10 percent of the energy of a typical building in Central Europe. The energy required by these buildings is so minimal that owners are barely concerned about rising energy prices. This type of construction is ideal for homes of all sizes and types. They are also extremely comfortable to live in, and its design means that they need less energy for cooling and heating.
It uses 90% less energy to heat than an average home
The Passivhaus concept was first developed in the late eighties by Professor Bo Adamson and Dr Wolfgang Feist, and was implemented in research during the 1990s. It was inspired by the pioneering work of superinsulated houses and solar houses by Harold Orr and William Shurcliff. The result is a home that consumes 90% less energy to heat than the average house. The concept has been widely adopted by construction companies, building authorities, and homeowners.
The Passivhaus concept began as a research project, which focused on the creation of low energy, eco-friendly houses. This research was later distilled into a set of guidelines and tested in thousands of houses around the world. Though Passivhaus homes are more expensive than other houses, they offer numerous environmental benefits, particularly in cold climates. Passivhaus certification is not only applicable to new homes, but also to homes retrofitted to similar standards.
The Passivhaus standard is focused on preventing heat loss through conduction and air leakage through the building enclosure. It does not take climate zone into consideration when making recommendations. It requires extremely high insulation values, very high performance windows, and extremely efficient appliances. Passivhaus homes are also very energy efficient, and must be equipped with an active heating and air-conditioning system. Although they do not use passive solar design principles, they still require a very efficient heating and ventilation system.
The passive house standard is also known as the “Passivhaus”. The Passivhaus Institute has set strict standards for buildings that utilize renewable energy sources, making them environmentally friendly and cost-efficient. In addition, they have superior indoor air quality. However, passive houses are not limited to residential homes, but are used in commercial buildings and other non-residential buildings. In addition to their low energy usage, they also offer a low environmental impact.
It is climate specific
The Passivhaus program is designed to maximize the energy efficiency of buildings. It uses a standardized approach to design, with a focus on the air leakage and heat loss in the building enclosure. Because it disregards the climate zone, Passivhaus buildings generally have high insulation values, high-performance windows, airtightness levels, and very energy efficient appliances. Passivhaus homes also use active mechanical ventilation and heating systems. These are not passive designs, but they can incorporate some of the principles of solar design, as well.
The first principle of Passivhaus design is to build a high-performance thermal envelope. The primary components of this envelope are continuous insulation, airtightness, and high-performance windows. Next, ventilation is necessary to deliver outstanding comfort while using minimum energy. In addition, building services such as plumbing and electrical systems are essential for the overall performance of the building. The goal is to build an energy-efficient home that is comfortable and cost-effective, but not overly invasive.
Adapting Passivhaus strategies to the climate of the region requires a careful assessment of climate and climatic conditions. While the energy demands of a given building are identical, design responses vary, especially when a building is located in a region with climate variations. In the Mediterranean, Passivhaus strategies must be modified to suit the local climate. These changes should be made to ensure a building’s long-term performance.
In cooler climates, the most critical factors are the heating load and demand. Passivhaus design focuses on indoor thermal comfort. For example, the supply-air heating load should be below 10W/m2 and the indoor operative temperature not exceeding 25 degrees. Thermal comfort is also taken into account based on the volumetric capacity of the system and the floor area treated. If the building is located in a hot climate, the temperature should be below the threshold.
It is expensive
A Passivhaus is an energy-efficient building that uses a lot of insulation. Its main benefits are low running costs, high comfort and lower energy bills. The price of building a Passivhaus can be high. However, there are several benefits to this type of building, which makes it worth the cost. Below are some of the most important benefits of Passivhaus construction. They include: Heating and cooling efficiency – Passivhaus houses are typically ten times more energy efficient than conventional houses.
Low Heating Demand – A Passivhaus requires a very low space heating demand. This means a building will need less than 15kWh of electricity per square metre a year. This requires detailed pre-construction design and air-tightness maximisation. Because of this, a Passivhaus uses 90% less energy to heat than a typical home, and 75% less than the average new build. This means a Passivhaus will be much more energy efficient than an average home.
The extra cost of Passivhaus construction varies from project to project. The price of building a Passivhaus depends on the size and quality of the house being built. Typically, a house over PS2,000/m2 will require around 15kWh of electricity per year, and only 3,000kWh of space heating and cooling in a year. Fortunately, about half of this amount can be provided by the activity in the house. Additionally, passive solar gain can significantly reduce heating bills.
Although the process of building a Passive House is expensive, it pays off in the long run. Buildings built to Passivhaus standards are extremely energy efficient, which is one of its main benefits. Passive houses are quiet, too, with no draughts or cold spots. Moreover, they don’t rely on complicated heating and cooling systems. They also have excellent noise reduction. The annual cost burden of a Passive House is around EUR 880 for the first few years.