A STEP TOWARDS A CARBON-NEUTRAL FUTURE

Passive Houses

Structure

1. What are passive houses?2. Development of passive houses3. Advantages and disadvantages4. How are passive houses built?5. Can you upgrade a normal house into a passive

house?6. Where are passive houses built?

What are Passive Houses?

About

• New construction in residential, commercial projects

• Well insulated

• Working with natural resources

• achieve low running costs

• energy efficient construction

• low running costs

Result

• Impressive system which saves up to 90 percent heating costs

•Step towards a cleaner world

Development ofPassive Houses

Idea and Implementation

• emerged from a conversation between Professors Bo Adamson and Wolfgang Feist in 1988

Prof. Bo Adamson, co-originator of the

concept

Dr Feist, founder of the Passivhaus

Institut and co-originator of the concept

The inventors

Evolution

• first Passive Houses:Darmstadt (Germany) in 1990

• foundation of Passivhaus-Institution (1996)

• creation of the Economical Passive Houses Working Group (1996)

• further constructions in Stuttgart, Wiesbaden, Naumburg and Cologne

Expansion

•further commercializing due to CEPHEUS

=>proves the concept in 5 European countries (2000-2001)

• first passive house in North Amerika, (Urbana, Illinois in 2003)

• first Passive House to certified: near Bemidji, Minnesota in Waldsee(2006)

Today

•about 15.000 Passive Houses in Europe

•including : single and multifamily residences, schools, factories , office buildings and even governmental agencies

Advantages and Disadvantages

Living Comfort

due to the air condition system...

•very good air quality

•same temperature in all rooms

•opening of windows and doors does not have a great impact on temperature

Costs

•initial building costs up to 17% higher

•equalled out by saved costs for heating

Comparison of energy consumption of different types of houses

➡on average: equalled out after 21 years

Overall Satisfaction with Passive Houses

“Have your initial expectations been fulfilled until now?”

How are Passive Houses Built?

Expressions

•U-factors W/(m²/K); R-factors

•Insulation = Wärmedämmung

•Installing zones: kitchen, bathroom

Materials•Exterior shell: U-factors lower than

0.15 W/(m²K)

•Windows: triple plane, low-e-glazing

0.8 W/(m²K)

•Exterior wall insulation: Polystyrol and Mineral wool

0.08-0.14 W/(m²K)

Materials/Methods•Roof: mineral wool and cellulose

0.07 W/(m²/K)

•Installing-zones kept close together

•Envelope airtightness

•Heat exchanger

•Subsoil heat exchanger

Methods

•Southern orientation

•Prevensation of shading

•Usage of solar energy

•Air traps

•Security heating

Can you upgrade a house into a Passive

House?

•construction is not constricted to specific types of buildings

• every building can be upgraded into a passive house

Passive Houses

•very good heat insulation

•air conditioning to gain heat

•windows with good heat insulation (heat protection glazing)

•walls of a passive house are not permeable to air

• You can upgrade every house into a Passive House but the costs and investments are very high.

Where are Passive Houses bulilt?

•in German-speaking countries

•in Scandinavia

buildings increase mostly Europe,

Thank you for your attention.

Sources• http://www.passivhaus-vauban.de/passivhaus.en.html (27/12/09)

• http://www.passivehouse.com/07_eng/news/CEPHEUS_final_long.pdf (p. 85, 27/12/09)

• http://www.passivhaus-vauban.de/passivhaus.en.html (27/12/09)

• www.passivehouse.co.uk/ (06/01/10)

• www.passivehouse.us/passiveHouse (06/01/10)

• PassiveHouseInfo.html (01/01/10)

• http://www.passivehouse.us/passiveHouse/PassiveHouseInfo.html (04/01/10)

• http://www.passivhaustagung.de/Kran/First_Passive_House_Kranichstein_en.html (06/01/10)

• http://www.e-colab.org/ecolab/SmithHouse.html (06/01/10)