Passive House Design

What is a Passive House?

A Passive House is a very well-insulated, virtually air-tight building that is primarily heated by passive solar gain and by internal gains from people, electrical equipment, etc. Energy losses are minimized. Any remaining heat demand is provided by an extremely small source. Cooling load is similarly minimized in a Passive house by avoiding heat gain with shading and window orientation. An energy recovery ventilator provides a constant, balanced fresh air supply. The result is an impressive system that not only saves up to 90% of space heating costs, but also provides a uniquely terrific indoor air quality.

A Passive House contains high performance triple-glazed windows, super-insulation, an airtight building shell, limitation of thermal bridging and balanced energy recovery ventilation. These components allow the Passive House to achieve extraordinary reductions in energy use and carbon emission.A Passive House is a comprehensive system. Working with natural resources and Passive Solar Design, free solar energy is captured and applied efficiently, instead of relying predominantly on “active” systems (like solar panels or wind generators) to bring a building to “zero” energy.

FAQ’s

Is a Passive House considered Green?

• The Passive House Institute is extremely committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, therefore the materials generally selected for construction are chosen with this in mind.
• The largest component affecting the Greeness of building is the Energy Efficiency of the structure. Since a Passive House is extremely energy efficient, it is considered very green.

What are the specific requirements of a Passive House?

• High level of thermal comfort at a specific heating demand of =<15 kWh/(m²yr)
  [4756 Btu/ft²/yr].
• High level of thermal comfort at a specific cooling demand of=<15 kWh/(m²yr) [4756 Btu/ft²/yr]
• Total Building Energy Demand of =<120 kWh/(m²yr) [38 kBtu/ ft²/yr]
• Airtightness of 0.6 Air Changes per Hour @ 50 Pascals of pressure  tested through blower door test.

What type of heating system is found in a Passive House?

• Although any type of heating system will work in a Passive House, the need for heat is so minimal that a traditional HVAC system is not necessary- and this saves a lot of money over traditional construction.
• One prominent heating system in Passive Houses is a hot water radiator inserted into the energy recovery ventilation duct system.  This allows the Passive house to be heated through the air-supply duct system that is necessary in such an airtight building shell.

Does a Passive House cost significantly more than a typical house?

• A “typical” house is hard to define, however the biggest factor affecting the cost of construction of any home is the design. If the goal is to construct a Passive House from the beginning then the cost can be figured into the how the building is designed from the beginning. The upgraded building shell components are offset by the minimal heating system requirements, however the average cost increase is between 5-10%.
• A Passive House will also prove to be MUCH more economical to operate than a typical house so any extra cost up-front will be paid back many times over during the life of the home.

How do I build a Passive House?

• The most important step towards ensuring guaranteed Passive House construction is to contract energy modeling and design services with an experienced team such as Energetechs.
• Knowledge of the Passive House modeling software and design principles will lead to successful implementation of Passive House concepts and ultimately lead to the construction of a Passive Home.

For more information on Passive Houses CLICK HERE to visit the US Passive House Institute’s website or

CONTACT US – Energetechs, Inc., – ph.