The Passive House has got it all

The Passive House Standard offers a new level of quality pairing a maximum level of comfort both during cold and warm months with reasonable construction costs – something that is repeatedly confirmed by Passive House residents.

Passive Houses are praised for their efficiency due to their high level of insulation and their airtight design. Another important principle is “thermal bridge free design“: the insulation is applied without any “weak spots” around the whole building so as to eliminate cold corners as well as excessive heat losses. This method is another essential principle assuring a high level of quality and comfort in Passive Houses while preventing damages due to moisture build up.

You may have been surprised by not finding ecological aspects mentioned at the very beginning of this article. Passive Houses are eco-friendly by definition: They use extremely little primary energy, leaving sufficient energy resources for all future generations without causing any environmental damage. The additional energy required for their construction (embodied energy) is rather insignificant compared with the energy they save later on. This seems so obvious that there is no need for additional illustrations. It is rather worth mentioning though, that the Passive House standard provides this level of sustainability for anyone wishing to build a new construction or renovating an older one at an affordable price – A contribution to protecting the environment that is far more effective than talking about protecting the environment.

Are Passive Houses a good investment? Passive Houses not only save money over the long term, but are surprisingly affordable to begin with. The investment in higher quality building components required by the Passive House standard is mitigated by the elimination of expensive heating and cooling systems. The financial support increasingly available in many countries makes building a Passive House all the more feasible. Learn more about Passive Houses – affordability.

Measurements carried out in 114 Passive House apartments which were part of the CEPHEUS project showed average savings of approx. 90%. In other words, the Passive House is a “factor 10 house” which only uses one tenth of the energy used by average houses.

Versatility

Any competent architect can design a Passive House. By combining individual measures any new building anywhere in the world can be designed to reach the Passive House standard. The versatile Passive House Standard is also increasingly being used for non-residential buildings such as administrative buildings and schools.

The Passive House Standard can also be achieved in retrofits using Passive House components.

Hands-on experience of Passive Houses – You have to see one to believe it

The International Passive House Day takes place once a year. At this event, hundreds of Passive House residents open their doors to anyone interested in getting a hands-on experience of living in a Passive House. The International Passive House Days are put on by the International Passive House Association (iPHA) and its German affiliate, IG Passivhaus.

Source: http://passipedia.passiv.de/passipedia_en/basics/what_is_a_passive_house