Passive House
A Construction Concept
A building standard that is truly comfortable, affordable, energy-efficient, and ecological at the same time.
Passive House is not a brand name, but a construction concept that can be applied by a Certified Professional and has stood the test of time. Yet, a Passive House is more than just a low-energy building.
The vast energy savings in Passive House buildings are achieved by using higher quality energy-efficient building components and a quality ventilation system: there is absolutely no cutting back on the comfort, instead, the level of comfort is considerably increased.
Passive House buildings save energy and reduce greenhouse gases – not just a little, but a great deal. These savings do not only exist on paper but in real life – Passive House buildings do deliver.
With approx. 60,000 Passive House buildings worldwide (as of 2016) the Passive House standard is rapidly spreading all over the world. As of today, Passive House has been built in nearly all European countries, the United States, Canada, and Japan – to mention but a few. This number is rapidly on the rise!
Passive House Principles
The Passive House is the world-leading standard in energy-efficient construction: A Passive House requires as little as 10 percent of the energy used by typical home construction – meaning an energy savings of up to 90 percent. Owners of Passive Houses are barely concerned with increasing energy prices. The Passive House is a sustainable construction concept that provides for affordable, high-quality buildings as well as comfortable, healthy living conditions. And its principles are quite easy to understand:
Benefits of Passive House
Passive House reliably delivers approximately a 90% reduction in heating and cooling demand and up to a 75% reduction in overall operational energy use when compared to conventional construction. The same protocols that deliver the extreme energy efficiency provide a more comfortable and healthier indoor environment — also addressing the climate crisis by dramatically reducing the operational carbon.
The benefits fall into five categories:
- Comfort - Constant desired temperature in all rooms, upstairs and down – no drafts, quiet, peace of mind, and tranquility;
- Healthy Indoor Air Quality – Continuous fresh and filtered air with up to a 95% reduction of airborne allergens and pollutants, including smoke and ash from wildfires;
- Energy Efficiency –The 90% and 75% reductions, mentioned above can dramatically lower bills and/or reduce the renewables required to reach zero net energy;
- Resilience – A Passive House building maintains the desired temperature much longer if power is lost – and doubles the impact of battery storage;
- Environmental Responsibility – Reducing energy demand from the built; environment is a major lever in reducing carbon and addressing the climate crisis.
Sourced By Passive House California