Passive House

A Passive House is a precisely engineered and detailed structure that is highly insulated, cold bridge free and requires 90% less energy for space heating or cooling. Building a Passive House does not cost extra in the long term as there is no need to install a complex heating system. Finances saved are invested into essential Passive House Elements, the cost of which is quickly recouped within a few years of building completion. A Passive House is fitted with a variety of non structural high performance essential elements, which include;

Triple gazed windows
Thermal Insulation barrier
Airtight membrane and tapes
Heat Recovery Ventilation Unit (HRV)

Passive House Non Structural Essential Elements

Thermal insulation

All opaque building components of the exterior envelope of the house must be very well-insulated. This means a heat transfer coefficient (U-value) of 0.15 W/(m²K) at the most, i.e. a maximum of 0.15 watts per degree of temperature difference and per square metre of exterior surface are lost.

Passive House windows

The window frames must be well insulated and fitted with low-e glazings filled with argon or krypton to prevent heat transfer. This is achieved by a U-value of 0.80 W/(m²K) or less, with g-values around 50% (g-value= total solar transmittance, proportion of the solar energy available for the room).

Ventilation heat recovery

Efficient heat recovery ventilation is key, allowing for a good indoor air quality and saving energy. In Passive House, at least 75% of the heat from the exhaust air is transferred to the fresh air again by means of a heat exchanger.

Airtightness of the building

Uncontrolled leakage through gaps must be smaller than 0.6 of the total house volume per hour during a pressure test at 50 Pascal (both pressurised and depressurised).

Absence of thermal bridges

All edges, corners, connections and penetrations must be planned and executed with great care, so that thermal bridges can be avoided. Thermal bridges which cannot be avoided must be minimised as far as possible.

Please follow the links below to explore the Structural Elements of our Passive Homes: