5 Principles of Passivhaus

PassivHaus is a premium quality building standard recognised throughout the world for energy efficient building design that also promotes indoor comfort, health and acoustic insulation.

How does a Passivhaus work?

The standard is founded on five principles that combine to reduce energy use:

  • High-quality insulation : The quality of the insulation throughout the building envelope is fundamental to the success of Passivhaus. The insulation minimises heat losses escaping from inside the building
  • No thermal bridging: this principle focuses on interruptions in the fabric of the building envelope, such as where roofs meet walls, joist connections, balcony supports and trusses. It is through these more complex connections that heat can escape from a traditional building
  • Superior windows : as the windows form a part of the building envelope they must be of high quality, permitting minimum heat to escape and allowing the appropriate heat in from the sun’s rays. At least triple glazing is standard, and particular attention is paid to how the windows are installed into the surrounding insulation
  • Airtight construction: There should be no uncontrolled airflow, and absolutely no draughts, allowing heat to escape from the building. All extracted air must be controlled through a heat recover system
  • MVHR, Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery : as the building is constructed airtight, high quality ventilation must be employed. This also that recovers heat from the indoor air before it is expelled

Does a Passivhaus home need heating?

Passivhaus homes are built to minimise heat losses and optimise thermal gains from glazing. This results in a Passivhaus home requiring 90% lower energy than that of other buildings. Passivhaus homes therefore don’t need anything like the traditional specification of home heating systems, such as boilers. Instead, they can easily use renewable energy sources like solar panels or heat pumps to supply their heating requirements.

Are Passivhaus homes expensive?

Even though Passivhaus homes and buildings require high-quality building materials and construction, they are still surprisingly affordable. As products and Passivhaus building techniques continually improve, construction costs are approaching the same level as traditional builds.

Thus, the long-term savings on energy bills ensure Passivhaushomes are a great investment.