A Guide to Passive Houses

Passive houses Passiv Haus, or Passivhaus buildings, originated as a concept in German in 1988. They are basically ultra efficient low energy buildings, that utilise solar panels and only need to use a small amount of energy to heat and cool. The very first Passive Houses to be built were in 1990, in Germany. These low energy buildings were such an architectural triumph that by 1996 a `Passivhaus Institute` was developed to oversee their standards. http://www.passive-house.ie

To date there have been an estimated twenty thousand Passive houses and buildings (including workplaces, nurseries and schools) built around world. Most of the Passive houses have been built in Austria and Germany and all adhere to the strict low energy ideal standards - whereby architectural technology actually encompasses the heating model.

So, how exactly are they built and if you were to build one yourself what should you consider first? Well first you may consider looking at the benefits attached to the combination of low-energy building techniques and technologies, to determine whether a passive house is for you. Having made that assessment you can then turn your attention to the design and construction.

The first thing to remember is that the energy efficiency of the building must be up to the technical standard. The passive Houses Standard dictates that insulation is key! Indeed when building a passive house one opts for `super insulation` rather than just regular insulation! The very precise calculations that make up this very high technical standard involves all aspects of the design of the house - the position of the widows are key to increasing solar gain by using solar panels, specialised triple pained window design is used to minimise air loss and drafts - making the house airtight. Houses must also be positioned correctly in regards to the direction of the sun - to compensate for possible overheating scenarios and also thermal heat must be considered - normally seeing masonry and concrete replaced by timber.

Much of the design details are worked out by using a Passivhaus Planning Package, commonly referred to as PHPP. Computer simulations are run using the package to work out the most energy efficient house position and model. When building a passive house you would normally employ a heat recovery ventilation system. Space heating is also employed, taking waste heat from household appliances, lights and even people and conserving it!

The benefits of passive housing seems obvious. Yes, they do cost around ten percent more to build, but they can save you up to forty per cent on energy bills per year! And, with the government zero carbon housing bill coming into force in 2016, it seems passive housing may be the way to go!

So, if you want top build an Eco friendly ultra efficient house in the UK, be it a property in London, a property in Durham, or a property in Leeds... Where ever you are going to build, consider the passive house standards, to meet your building and living needs