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The Passivhaus's fabric-first approach to energy efficiency
The Passivhaus's fabric-first approach to energy efficiency
The building does the work, from super-high insulation to absolute air-tightness and harvesting the sun's energy through windows
Oliver Wainwright
The Guardian, Friday 1 November 2013 16.22 EDT
Justine Hutton and her children at their Passivhaus in Oldham Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian
It may sound – and sometimes look – like a facility for pacifying particularly violent criminals, but Passivhaus is in fact the gold standard for ultra-low energy homes, which is enjoying increasing popularity as heating bills continue to rise at astronomical rates. Developed in Germany in the early 90s by Bo Adamson and Wolfgang Feist, the Passivhaus Standard is based on a set of principles that mean homes should be able to remain at a comfortable ambient temperature of around 20C with a minimal amount of heating or cooling.
It is a "fabric-first" approach to energy efficiency, meaning the building does the work, rather than relying on bolt-on renewable energy devices, like solar panels and ground-source heat-pumps. Based on the tenets of super-high insulation, absolute air-tightness, and harvesting the sun's energy through south-facing windows, passive houses aim to keep as much heat inside the home as possible.
They also rely on a box, usually kept in the loft: the MVHR, or mechanical ventilation heat recovery unit, a heat-exchange system that uses air from warmer rooms in the house to heat fresh air coming in.
"There are a lot of myths around Passivhaus, like you can't open the windows and people will suffocate if the MVHR breaks down," says Kym Mead, director of Passivhaus at the Building Research Establishment. "It's all nonsense – you can live in it like a normal house. It's based on the idea of harvesting the heat that comes from occupants and their devices, like TVs, computers, cookers and showers."
....
The building does the work, from super-high insulation to absolute air-tightness and harvesting the sun's energy through windows
Oliver Wainwright
The Guardian, Friday 1 November 2013 16.22 EDT
Justine Hutton and her children at their Passivhaus in Oldham Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian
It may sound – and sometimes look – like a facility for pacifying particularly violent criminals, but Passivhaus is in fact the gold standard for ultra-low energy homes, which is enjoying increasing popularity as heating bills continue to rise at astronomical rates. Developed in Germany in the early 90s by Bo Adamson and Wolfgang Feist, the Passivhaus Standard is based on a set of principles that mean homes should be able to remain at a comfortable ambient temperature of around 20C with a minimal amount of heating or cooling.
It is a "fabric-first" approach to energy efficiency, meaning the building does the work, rather than relying on bolt-on renewable energy devices, like solar panels and ground-source heat-pumps. Based on the tenets of super-high insulation, absolute air-tightness, and harvesting the sun's energy through south-facing windows, passive houses aim to keep as much heat inside the home as possible.
They also rely on a box, usually kept in the loft: the MVHR, or mechanical ventilation heat recovery unit, a heat-exchange system that uses air from warmer rooms in the house to heat fresh air coming in.
"There are a lot of myths around Passivhaus, like you can't open the windows and people will suffocate if the MVHR breaks down," says Kym Mead, director of Passivhaus at the Building Research Establishment. "It's all nonsense – you can live in it like a normal house. It's based on the idea of harvesting the heat that comes from occupants and their devices, like TVs, computers, cookers and showers."
....
http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2013/nov/01/passivhaus-fabric-first-energy-efficiency
