Passive housing for active communities · Graph: PASSNET 2 project - Current situation of Passive...

The Brochure for municipalities presenting them technical solutions to decide for passive house standard in buildings, evaluation them and adapting to local climate

Passive housing for active communities

Jörg FaltinMichal Tvrdoň

authors:Jörg faltinAuraplan, Private Commercial Organisation Hartzlohplatz 5, 22307, HamburgTel: +49 4351 76 75 91E-mail: [email protected]

michal tvrdoňRegional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern EuropeCountry office SlovakiaVysoká 18, 85102 Bratislava, SlovakiaTel: +421 2 5263 2942E-mail: [email protected]

intense coordinating partner: Ingrida BremereBaltic Environmental Forum LatviaDoma laukums 1-53, LV-1050 RigaTel: +371 6735 7561E-mail: [email protected]

intenseintelligent energy saving measures for municipal housing in central and eastern european countries

Legal disclaimerThe sole responsibility for the content of this document lies with the authors. The document does not represent the opinion of the Community. The European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

The Brochure for municipalities presenting them technical solutions to decide for passive house standard in buildings, evaluation them and adapting to local climate

Passive housing for active communities

Jörg FaltinMichal Tvrdoň

March 2011

Table of contentsForeword.................................................................................................................................................. .3

Introduction............................................................................................................................................ .5

Best.Practice.Examples.–.passive.house.standard.................................................................. .7

What isa passive house? ......................................................................................... 8

7 steps to become “passive” .................................................................................. 8

Best practice examples from school to home .................................................... 10

Stakeholders.–.who.joins.the.project.on.the.way.to.a.passive.house.............................. .21

Selection.Criteria.-.Building.in.a.broader.perspective......................................................... .23

Adaptation.Concept:.Diverse.climate.diverse.technical.solutions................................. .25

Success.stories.which.have.changed.the.energy.stereotypes.......................................... .26

Conclusion..............................................................................................................................................34

References............................................................................................................................................. .35

Useful.links.............................................................................................................................................36

Foreword

The.international.project.INTENSE1.has.brought.comprehensive. thinking. about. energy. effici-ency,. and. beside. other. goals. is. also. fostering.the.adoption.of. intelligent.energy.use.patterns.in.buildings..In.all.of.its.work,.INTENSE.is.targe-ting.municipalities. in.the.CEE.region.as.the.im-portant.stakeholders..

The. reasons. for. reducing. energy. consumption.and. energy. wastage. are. well. known,. and. its.impacts.will.reach.us.sooner.or.later..Uncertain.fossil.energy.supplies.in.the.future,.environmen-tal.problems,.and.anticipated.high. increases.of.energy. costs. are. among. the. foremost. impacts..Additionally,. upcoming. changes. that. brought.new.European.legislation.such.as.EU.“20-20-20”.targets.or.the.new.EPBD-Directive.2010.call. for.action.without.any.delay..Both.directives.stand.for.more.energy.effectiveness,.and.the.preventi-on.of.environmental.emissions..

Due. to. these. facts,. several. projects. with. new.energy. concepts. have. been. realized. in. recent.years.. They. have. included. all. types. of. houses.from. single-family. houses,. apartment. blocks,.terrace. houses,. and. big. urban. projects. which.can.be.found.in.many.places.around.Europe.. It.gives.a.positive.signal.of.the.change.in.unders-tanding. of. the. energy-saving. issue. not. only.among.the.general.public,.but.also.the.subject.is. changing. the. philosophy. of. urban. planners,.architects,.developers,.as.well.as.cities.and.their.communal. representatives. and. it. is. becoming.more.and.more.attractive..

We. are. trying. to. present. the. abovementioned.change. in. philosophy. on. the. background. of.practical.examples.as.well.as.success.stories..We.have.always.tried.to.refer.to.passive.house.stan-dard. considering. also. other. important. aspects.such.as.energy.supply,.urban.planning.conditi-ons,.diverse.technical.aspects,.and. last.but.not.

Passive housing for active communities �

1 INTENSE — it is an international project dealing with intelligent energy saving measures for municipal housing in Central and Eastern Europe, supported by the Intelligent Energy Europe programme of the European Commission. It addresses the complexity of holistic energy sound urban planning and triggers comprehensive thinking about energy efficiency in the 12 countries from Estonia to Croatia.

Table of contents

least.–.we.found.that.a.vital.role.is.always.played.by. the. enthusiastic. initiators. and. supporters. of.new.challenges.-.and.this.holds.whether.we.are.presenting. private. or. municipal. activities.. This.brochure. may. be. an. inspiration. to. its. readers,.and.should.be.a.guide.to.what.is.possible.if.the.right.forces.work.together.efficiently..

We. are. inviting. you. for. a. passive. house. tour.which. should. inspire. your. municipally. to. act.responsibly. in. the. sense. -. Passive housing for active communities.

� Passive housing for active communities Passive housing for active communities �

Introduction

This.brochure. is. intended.to.be.practical. inspi-ration. (in. some. cases. just. reference). for. local.authorities.and.their.municipalities.in.the.Cent-ral.and.Eastern.European.Region,.to.assist.them.in.taking.action.in.order.to.reach.the.maximum.energy.performance.of.buildings,.while.mainta-ining.the.lowest.energy.consumption.level..This.requires.a.combination.of.various.technical.me-asures. ranging. from. a. building’s. foundation. to.its.roof.construction.

Sooner. or. later,. local. authorities. representing.their. municipalities. will. be. faced. with. policies,.legal. provisions,. plans. and. programmes. ado-pted. by. their. governments. to. significantly. de-crease. energy. consumption. in. all. municipal.buildings:.from.schools,.social.housing,.to.muni-cipality-owned.apartment.houses..

The.key.concept.of.“Passive housing for active communities“ is.buildings.constructed. to. passive. house. stan-dards.. We. have. referred. to. the. best.practice.examples.to.prove.that.pas-sive. house. standard. is. not. only. for.small. family. houses. with. high. tech.technologies,. but. also. that. school.can.be.built.to.a.passive.house.stan-dard,. as. well. as. social. housing. for.low.income.citizens.

This. brochure. combines. the. main. outcomes.from. 3. stages. of. one. project. activity. –. Best practice options for increasing energy efficiency in buildings.. In. the. first stage. we. introduce.passive. house. standards. and. in. detail. we.explain. what. that. means. in. practice. for. the.building..To.maintain..low.energy.consumption.can. still. be. challenging,. therefore. in. the.second stage. we. introduce. 16. criteria. as. a.tool. for. building. evaluation. including. not.only. technical. aspects,. but. also. criteria. that.allows. the. evaluation. of. a. building. from. the.broader.perspective..In.the.third stage.we.try.to.place.a.building.into.three.different.climatic.conditions.which.should.cover.the.needs.of.all.involved. countries.. Readers. should. consider.this. brochure. as. an. extract. from. the. three.


mentioned. papers,. where. an. overview. and.inspiration.can.be.found,.and.therefore.readers.are.invited.to.refer.to.these.documents..Through. the. presentation. and. promotion.of. this. brochure,. we. hope. to. encourage. our.municipalities. to. start. thinking. actively. about.low.energy.consumption.in.the.building.sector,.and.if.possible.to.then.decide.to.go.“passive”.


Best Practice Examples – passive house standard

In. the. new. discourse. presented. in. the. mentio-ned. EU. policies. is. sketched. the. future. of. public.buildings.. From. 2018. all. new. buildings. occupied.and. owned. by. public. authorities. will. be. nearly.zero-energy.buildings..But.this.won’t.concern.only.public.buildings,.because.starting.from.December.2020.every.new.building.will.be.zero-energy.(Eu-ropean.Parliament,.2010)..

Despite.the.fact.that.Europe.is.urgently.calling.for.something. more. advanced. –. zero. energy. hou-ses,. there. is. an. existing. concept. which. is. more.than. 20 years old. (Note: the first was built in 1990 in Darmstadt, Germany). and. which. has. been. inter-nationally.tested.and.gradually.developed..It.is.the.concept.of.“passive house”.with.very. low.energy.consumption..In.the.last.decade.this.concept.has.be-come.very.common.and.technically.and.financially.feasible.(see.Graph 01 below)..Thus.is.drawn.the.fu-ture.of.our.homes,.of.our.buildings,.and.thus.began.

the.new.era.of.energy-efficient.houses.from.lowest.energy.buildings.through.passive.houses.which.are.paving.the.way.for.near.zero-energy.buildings.


Graph: PASSNET 2 project - Current situation of Passive House in Europe, update November 2010,

(Source: www.pass-net.net)

2 Within the project PASS-NET the current situation for Passive House buildings in the participating countries has been analysed. There are about 27,600 Passive House buildings in the 10 PASS-NET countries at the end of 2010. It is expected that the number will rapidly rise to 65,000 buildings by 2012. Within the 10 PASS-NET countries, the amount of Passive House buildings is very different. In several regions the Passive House standard is already mandatory, in other regions the first pilot projects have only been recently built (PASSNET. 2010).


Generally.for.“passive house standard” one.cri-terion.is.heating.energy.demand.per.square.me-ter.of.a.house.and.primary.energy.demand.A. passive. house. concept. according. to. its. father.Wolfgang Feist,.sometimes.called.“Mr..Passivehaus”:

...is not an energy performance standard, but a concept to achieve the highest thermal comfort conditions at low total costs - this is the correct definition: „A Passive House is a building for which thermal comfort (ISO 7730) can be achieved solely by post-heating or post-cooling of the fresh air mass, which is required to fulfil sufficient indoor air quality conditions (DIN 1946) - without a need for re-circulated air.“ (Feist, W., 2006)

Furthermore,. we. can. consider. a. passive. house.as.a.standard.of.building.in.which.a.comfortable.interior.climate.can.be.maintained.without.an.ac-tive. heating. system.. The. house. heats. and. cools.itself,.hence.„passive“.. The.annual. heat.demand.for. a. passive. house. is. very. low. -. in. the. middle.of. Europe. about. 15. kWh/m². annually.. The. need.for. total. primary. energy. use. should. not. exceed.120kWh/m².year,. including. heating. and. cooling,.domestic. hot. water,. and. household. electricity..(Faltin,.J.,.von.Knorre,.Ch.,.2009)..

Just. for. comparison,. a. typical. 1980s. apartment.block.as.found.around.Central.and.Eastern.Euro-pe,.on.average.consumes.12.times.more.heating.energy.than.the.passive.house.

Our. goal. is. to. demonstrate. best. practices. which.ensure.that.buildings.and.their.energy.systems.are.operated.at.their.optimal.designed.efficiency,.and.that. the. building. achieves. its. lowest. energy. de-mand..Therefore.we.have.searched.projects.which.successfully.present. technical.measures.with. low.energy.demands.such.as.passive house standard.or.in.some.cases.low.energy.standard..

In.many.cases,.the.maximum.of.technical.options.CANNOT. be. completely. realized,. every. single.measure. developed. for. the. passive. houses,. re-asonably. priced,. can. be. used. to. maintain. lower.energy.consumption.in.any.building.

7 steps to become “passive”

What is a passive house?

There. is. a. plethora. of. technical. measures. and.construction.specifics.which.need.to.be.applied.in. order. to. reach. the. passive. house. standard..They. vary. in. accordance. to. climatic. conditions.and.other.aspects..However.they.can.be.summa-rised.as.7 basic steps leading us to the passive house.

Passive. house. standard. is. based. on. the. gradual.realisation.of.architectural.and.technical.measu-res,.and.this. is.also.the.design.of.other. types.of.high.energy.efficient.buildings..Once.you.decide.to.construct.your.town.hall.in.passive.house.stan-dard.you.will.need.to.keep.in.mind.the.following.steps:


•. Essential.is.the.optimisation.of.the.building co-ver with.the.passive.components.as.thick.wall insulation (step 2), solar optimized window (step 3) and air tightness (step 4).proved.by.the.“blower.door.test”.

•. For. the. purpose. of. least. energy. losses,. chan-ging.or.optimizing.any.component.has.effects.on.others.at.the.same.time,.and.additionally.on.other.technical.aspects..To.solve.this.comple-xity. of. measures,. an. integrated process of design (step 1).is.required..Often.this.is.done.by.the.combination.of.architect,.engineer.and.good. skilled. craftsmen. in. the. early. planning.period.

•. The.next.step. (step 5) is highly efficient heat recovery.with.controlled.ventilation..The.system.heats.incoming.cold.air.by.using.outgoing.warm.air,.and.keeps.heat.loss.to.a.strict.minimum.

•. steps 6 and 7. comprise. the. application. of.technologies.using.renewable.energy.sources.(heating,. cooling,. hot. water. preparation). and.the. rational. use. of. electrical. appliances. with.low.energy.consumption..

The. determining. quality. criterion. for. a. passive.house.is.the.minimisation.of.primary.energy.con-sumption,.which.can.easily.be.achieved.if.you.fol-low.all.the.steps.mentioned.above.

Original by E.U.[Z]. ©2000, passôtel [21] - transformation ©2009, J.Faltin

high.efficient.devices.for.heating.and.coolingsolar.collectors.for.heating.warmwater

efficient electrical auxiliary and household applications, lighting etc.

„doubling“ the thickness of insulationU-values about ~0,1 W/m²K (EU, cold climate) up to ~0,2 W/m²K (EU, warm climate)

solar optimized „super windows“3-pane-windows (in EU--central-climate U ≤ 0,8 W/m²K, g ≥ 0,5)

excellent air tightnessn50 ≤ 0,6 1/h

ventilation with high efficient heat recoveryh ≥ 75%

integrated design of buildingenergetic.optimizing.of.framework,.joints.and.supply.system,.for.least.heating.and.cooling

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

seven steps to passive houses

Best practice examples from school to home

10 Passive housing for active communities Passive housing for active communities 11

Usually.each.municipality.has.to.maintain.diverse.types.of.buildings.ranging.from.town.hall,.throu-gh.apartment.blocks,.social.housing,.schools,.and.theatres,.all.differentiating.in.age,.style,.type,.he-ight,.size,.and.energy.consumption..Nonetheless,.all.can.be.built.to.a.passive.house.standard..The-refore,.in.following.best.practice.examples.we.are.providing. you. with. examples. which. have. alrea-dy. been. realized,. and. measurements. that. have.proven.low.energy.demand..We.are.focusing.on.buildings. which. are. usually. in. the. ownership. of.any.municipality.and.which.therefore.may.be.an.inspiration.for.you.

1. the first example - soLanova project refers to the retrofitting of a building from the 1980s which are the most common buildings in the cee region.

2. the second example was also very challenging because aBg

(municipal housing company) in frankfurt decided to retrofit a building from the 1950s to passive house standard.

3. the third example is a direct contrast to the first and second: it is newly built social housing of passive house standard situated in the outskirts of vienna.

4. the fourth is an example of retrofitted seminary centre – hostětín in the czech republic, which can serve as an example for

cultural centres in our municipalities or town halls in small towns and not only as a seminar building.

5. the fifth example brings inspiration that also a kindergarten can be built and operated in passive house

standard, this from Baden (austria).

6. the sixth example refers to residential, terrace houses Without heating systems in glumslöv (sweden).

Picture: Reconstructed houses from 50-ties of last century to passive house standard. (Photo: www.faktor10.com).


1. the first example: soLanova project

A.large.portion.of.the.building.stock.in.Central.and.Eastern.European.countries.consists.of.typical.apart-ment.blocks.from.the.early.1980s.made.of.concrete.prefabricated. panels.. Usually. these. are. more. than.20-storey.buildings.wasting.a.lot.of.energy..Recently.if.you.pass.any.of.these.cities.you.can.see.that.the.“grey”.apartment.blocks.have.changed.colour..Sometimes.it.is.a.sign.that.the.building.has.new.insulation.and.they.are.trying.to.decrease.energy.consumption..However,.only.a.small.percentage.of.such.buildings.has.passed.the. complex. reconstruction. to. make. a. significant.change.in.energy.consumption..A.shining.example.in.this.sense,.is.the soLanova project in.Hungary.In.2005,.one.7-story.panel-building.in.the.Hungarian.town.of.Dunaújváros.was.transformed.into.Europe’s.first.3-litre-panel-building3..What.is.the.most.fascina-ting.about.this.example.is.its.complexity..SOLANOVA.was.the.first.project.which.undertook.major.renova-tion.of.all.important.aspects..They.made.a.symbiosis.between. energy. demand. and. supply,. so. first. they.were.trying.to.find.an.optimal.solution.stemming.from.demand..Furthermore,.the.building’s.heating.energy.

demand.dropped.from.213.kWh/m2a.to.20.kWh/m2a..A.renewable.energy.source.in.the.form.of.solar.energy.covers.20%.of.their.demand..With.regards.to.ventila-tion,.they.have.decided.to.use.a.small.ventilation.unit.for.each.flat,.with.integrated.air-to-air.heat.exchanger.combined.with.radiators.under.the.window.in.each.living.room.(Hermelink,.2006a;.Hermelink,.2006b).. In.this.research.project.was.outstanding.cooperation.with.flat.owners.who.were.willing.to.undertake.the.complex.reconstruction.. The. flat. owners. participated. from. an.early. stage. of. planning,. and. through. questionnaires.the.project.developers.were.able.to.meet.their.needs.

technical parameters value Description

Heat.consumption: 20.kWh/m²a Measured.annual.space.heat.consumption.2006/07

Foundation.slab: No.data.available

Outer.walls: 0,435.U.(W/m²K) with.16.cm.polystyrene.insulation.

Roof: 0,46.U.(W/m²K) 30.cm.insulation.and.green.roof

Windows.(flats): 1,1.U.(W/m²K)2+1.glazing.with.integrated.Venetian.blinds.in.the.space.between.the.windows.panes.

Air.tightness: No.data.available

Picture: Solanova project – building in original state (in the left corner) and building after reconstruction

3 3-litre-panel-building refers to simplified technical terminology mainly used in the German speaking countries. It usually used for more tangible imagination where 1 litre/m²y of gasoline equals to ≤10 kWh/m²y used for heating. So, 3-litre-panel-building refers to 30 kWh/m²y.

12 Passive housing for active communities Passive housing for active communities 1�

the main highlights:

1. Complex.reconstruction

2. Complex.approach.in.planning.process.and.construction

3. Active.involvement.and.communication.with.tenants.to.meet.their.needs

4. Green.roof.available.for.meetings.of.tenants

2. the second example: retrofitting house from the 1950s – rotlintstraße in frankfurt (germany)

The.Frankfurt.housing.company.ABG.FRANKFURT.HOLDING.in.2009.completed.the.reconstruction.of.three.blocks.in.Rotlintstraße.(see.the.picture.-.page.10). from. the. 1950s. with. the. target. of. reaching.a.passive.house.standard..This.type.of.building.can.

be.found.around.Central.and.Eastern.Europe,.and.it. is. a. positive. example. that. this. type. of. building.can.also.be. reconstructed. to.passive.house.stan-dard.It.was.a.comprehensive.reconstruction.inside.and.outside. of. the. buildings.. The. whole. apartment.complex.consists.of.3.blocks.including.7.dwellings..In. total. they. retrofitted. 61. apartments. with. total.living.area.of.about.3800.m2..The.energy.heating.demand.dropped.significantly.from.220.kWh/m2a.

Location:Owner/Investor:Architect:Costs:Completion.date:Building..Type.:Number.of.Flats:Treated.Floor.Area.:Energy.standard:Ecological.Measures:Heating..:Cooling:Ventilation:

Dunaújváros,.HungaryPrivate.ownersAndreas..Hermelink.(University.of.Kassel)240.Eur/m2.+.VAT20057-story-panel-building422350.m2.(42.flats)Low.energy.houseGreen.roofRadiators.in.each.living.roomInformation.not.availableVentilation.units.with.82%.real.heat.recovery,.one.ventilation.unit.per.flat

There.are.more.reasons.why.this.project.is.presen-ted. as. a. best. practice. example. worth. following..We.have.emphasized. just.a. few,.but. if.you.want.

to. know. more. visit:. www.solanova.org. and. be.inspired..


to. less.than.20.kWh/m2a..For.energy.supply.they.used.cogeneration.unit.using.oilseed.rape.as.fuel..Moreover.was.installed.a.solar.system.on.the.roof.as. an. additional. energy. source.. Technically. it. is.interesting.how.they.solved.the.problem.of.faca-de. insulation:. timber. construction. was. mounted.on. the. outer. walls. and. filled. with. cellulose. (from.reused. paper:. old. newspapers,. etc.).. This. kind. of.construction. at. the. end. has. 34. cm. with. U-value.0.13.W/(m²K)of.façades..One.could.object.that.it.is.too.thick.in.comparison.to.other.materials,.but.on.the.other.hand.it.is.eco-friendly.construction.(tim-ber,.recycled.newspapers,.etc.).

In.line.with.our.chosen.standard.of.passive.house,.we. talk. about. technical. solutions. as. well. as. the.social. aspect. and. economic. sustainability.. More.benefits. are. evident. from. the. retrofitting. of. old.apartment.blocks..Before.retrofitting.started,.flats.were.mostly.rented.by.low-income.groups..Conse-quently,.poor.and.less.affluent.population.groups.tend.to.be.more.affected.by. inadequate.housing.conditions. and. higher. environmental. burden. in.their. residential. environments.. The. inadequate.residential. environment. also. refers. to. a. range. of.social.aspects.such.as.home.safety,.crime.percep-tion,.healthy.living,.etc..They.have.decided.to.solve.

these. problems. and. to. increase. housing. conditi-ons.and.also.the.overall.quality.of. the.residential.environment..Otherwise.they.would.need.to.move.out. tenants. and. demolish. the. buildings.. During.the.building.process.all. tenants.were.temporarily.moved. out,. with. priority. to. move. back. after. re-construction.. Moreover,. this. project. helped. ABG.Holding.to.solve.the.problem.of.old.building.stock.and.how.to.assure. its.financial. sustainability..The.cost.of.refurbishment.was.around.1.300.euro/m2,.still.less.than.if.they.had.decided.to.demolish.the.old.buildings.and.erect.a.new.one.of.passive.hou-se.standard.(costs.for.new.one.were.estimated.for.1600-1900.euro/m2).

On. one. hand. we. need. to. acknowledge. that. the.success.behind.this.story.is.the.fact.that.in.Frank-furt. these. flats. are. owned. by. a. strong. municipal.housing. company. (ABG). that. is. able. to. invest. in.refurbishments.and.doesn’t.need.to.cope.with.the.problem.of.fractional.ownership..In.most.CEE.coun-tries.municipalities.do.not.own.big.housing.stocks..We.are.aware.that.most.multi-storey.buildings.are.owned.by. individual.flat.owners..But.this.doesn’t.mean.that.they.cannot.come.to.a.common.agree-ment.to.make.comprehensive.and.proper.refurbis-hment.as.in.the.Solanova.project.

Location:Owner/Investor:Architect:Costs:Number.of.Flats:Energy.standard:Heating:Cooling:Ventilation:

Frankfurt,.GERMANYABG.municipal.housing.company,.Frankfurtfaktor.10.GmbH.(Limited.company),.Darmstadt1.300.euro/m2..(the.cost.of.refurbishment)61passive.house.standard..Cogeneration.unit.(fuel:.oilseed.rape)

Ventilation.unit.in.each.flat

1� Passive housing for active communities Passive housing for active communities 1�

3. the third example: social housing of passive house standard – mühlweg - vienna (austria)

Who. would. say. that. social. housing. can. also. be.built. to. passive. house. standard?. There. are. sure.to. be. many. opponents,. however,. buildings. in. an.ownership. of. municipalities. (not. common. in. the.CEE.region).should.have.a.strong.interest.in.cutting.costs.where.it.is.possible..We.are.not.talking.about.the.quality.of.used.materials..On.the.contrary.we.are. talking. about. cutting-edge. technologies. and.new. building. processes. which. can. significantly.decrease. heating. energy. demand,. maintenance.costs,. and. others. operating. costs.. Does. it. sound.like.from.another.galaxy?

We.don’t.need.to.travel.far..In.Vienna.it.is.becoming.common.to.build.social.housing.of.passive.house.standard..The.project.Passive.House.Mühlweg.focu-sed. on. multi-storey. subsidized. housing. of. timber.


Heat.consumption: 10-15.kWh/m2

Foundation.slab: 0,298.U.(W/m²K)There.was.made.extra.insulation.made.of.concrete.(36.cm).on.the.floor.at.the.basement.

Outer.walls: 0,131.U.(W/m²K)Outer.insulation.made.of.wooden.construction.consists.of.7.materials.–.totally.it.is.36.cm.thick.and.the.main.insulation.material.is.cellulose.(29.cm.thick).

Roof: 0,105.U.(W/m²K)Totally,.insulation.consists.of.5.layers.and.the.main.part.is.cellulose.insulation.(40.cm.thick).

Windows.: 0,74.U.(W/m²K)There.were.used.more.types.of.window,.this.is.window.used.for.flats.3.pane.window.with.insulated.frame.

Air.tightness: 0,31/h Originally.air.tightness.was.n50=.3,21/h


1.The.original.heat.consumption.was.of.about.220.kWh/m2.and.it.decreased.to.10-15.kWh/m2.which.is.in.a.technical.term.very.good.result.

2.The.cost.of.refurbishment.was.around.1.300.euro/m2.which.is.less.than.for.a.new.house.(In.Germany.it.is.around.EUR.1600-1900.m2).

3. Reconstruction.helped.also.to.solve.the.social.problems.which.were.in.this.neighbourhood..

Picture: Social housing in passive house standard Vienna (AUSTRIA). (Photo: www.untertrifaller.com)


construction. to. achieve. passive. house. standard..The.residential.area.is.comprised.of.70.units.with.to-tal.floor.space.of.6750.m2..The.main.idea.was.to.build.up.a.residential.area.with.ecological.and.long-term.sustainability.with.limited.total.construction.costs,.as.it.was.seen.as.subsidized.residential.buildings..The.project.was.finalized.and.houses.put.into.operation.in.November.2006..Heating.energy.consumption.is.13.kWh/m2a,.i.e..passive.house.standard..Although.tendered.costs.were.considerably.above.estimated.costs,. the. project. was. considered. successful.. It. is.also.an.award.winning.passive.house.complex.con-structed.of.wood.and.mixed.construction..

In.order.to.keep.construction.of.the.four.houses.com-plex.to.competitive.construction.costs,.during.project.development.was.established.a.“partnering”.coope-ration.between.all.involved.parties,.authorities,.plan-ners.and.builders.and.general.suppliers.of.technolo-gies..Therefore,.this.project.is.given.as.a.good.practice.example.with.respect.to.the.necessity.of.good.coope-ration.and.thus.the.rationalization.of.costs.So.if.you.are.deciding.for.social.housing.in.your.mu-nicipality,.don’t.forget.to.involve.all.stakeholders.at.an.early.stage.and.to.create.“partnering”.coopera-tion,. and. also. good. tendering. as. in. some. cases.green.procurement.can.decrease.your.costs.


Heat.consumption: 13.kWh/m2 .

Foundation.slab: 0,105.U.(W/(m²K) 31cm.thick.insulation.including.EPS.

Outer.walls: 0,145.U.(W/(m²K)Wall.insulation.consists.of.7.layers.(all.together.43.cm).

Roof: 0,075.U.(W/(m²K) .

Windows.: 0,74.U.(W/(m²K) Triple-glazed.window.

Air.tightness: 0,21/h..

Location:Owner/Investor:Architect:Costs:Completion.date:Number.of.Flats:Groundfloor.size:Energy.standard:Heating:Cooling:Ventilation:

Vienna,.AustriaBWS.Gemeinnützige.Allgemeine.Bau-Wohn-.und.SiedlungsgenossenschaftHermann.Kaufmann.ZT.GmbHTotal.investment.costs.EUR.11.mil..(approx:.1100.EUR/m2.due.to.subsidy)200670Multi-storey.with.a.total.floor.space.6750.m2

Passive.house.standard..Individually.room-controlled.heating.system.as.small.radiatorsNo.active.coolingCentral.ventilation.unit.placed.on.the.flat.roof,.each.you.unit.can.control.living.area.ventilation.with.supply.and.exhaust.air.ventilators,.counter.flow.plate.heat.exchanger.with.heat.recovery.of.83.%.



1. Social.housing.in.passive.house.standard

2.A.project.which.scale.is.unique.in.Europe.and.which.is.a.showcase.in.a.modern.and.complex.timber.engineering,.project.is.also.good.example.of..urban.and.residential.design.

3.Costs.per.square.meter.(subsidised).were.EUR.1100,.and.tenants.pay.monthly.for.this.subsidised.housing.just.EUR.6.14.per.square.meter.including.service.charges

4.Involving.all.parties.at.the.early.stage.of.the.project.and.tendering.helped.to.make.this.project.economically.feasible.

4. the fourth example: energy-efficiency steps in seminary centre – hostětín (czech republic)

This.is.the.first.building.of.passive-house-standard.in.the.Czech.Republic..Hostětin.is.a.small.village.in.the.Czech.Republic.which.supports.environmen-tal.projects. like.biological.wastewater.treatment.plants.and.biomass.district.heating..We.are.not.introducing.this.example.just.because.they. were. first.. More. importantly,. this. example.can. be. an. inspiration. for. any. small. municipali-ty.and.the.type.of.building.may.refer.to.a.small.

town. hall.. Additionally,. the. presented. example.demonstrates. that. even. a. seminary. centre. or.small.guest.house.can.be.of.passive.house.stan-dard..The.building.itself.contains.a.tutorial.room,.a.guest.house.for.25,.kitchen,.and.an.engineering.office. on. the. first. floor.. It. is. a. tutorial. centre. for.training.courses.of.ecological.standard.construc-tion.as.well.as.a.demonstration.building..Moreo-ver,.its.tutorial.function.may.contribute.to.the.en-forcement.of.the.passive.house.standard.both.in.public.properties.development.and.the.develo-pment.of.private.housing..Recently,.the.building.is.also.a.training.place.for.local.planners.to.learn.more.about.ecological.construction..

This. is. an. exact. example. of. responsible.municipality. which. decided. to. go. gre-en.by.using.a. renewable.energy.source.for.heating,.and.at.the.same.time.it.is.an.example. of. responsible. community.. On.top. of. this,. 50%. of. the. investment. was.covered.by.the.province.of.Lower.Austria.(Niederösterreich). as. an. example. of. re-gional. cooperation. towards. the. energy.issue.. This. mutual. learning. and. respon-sible.living.should.be.the.main.message.at.all.levels.from.local.to.international.

Picture: Energy centre Hostětín (CZECH REPUBLIC). (Photo: Atelier of Arch. Georg W. Reinberg)



Heat.requirement: 17,6.kWh/m²a .

Heat.load: 14.W/m² .

Primary.energy.requ.: 65.kWh/m²a .

Foundation.slab: 0,17.U.(W/m²K) .

Outer.walls: 0,13.U.(W/m²K)Walls.made.of.concrete,.brickwork.and.wood,.insulation.made.of.straw.(kitchen.part)

Roof: 0,09.U.(W/m²K) .

Windows./.average: 0,68.U.(W/m²K) .

Air-tightness.(n50-value): 0,7..1/h .


1. Newly.built.seminary.building.in.passive.house.standard.

2.Heating.with.biomass.district.heating.system.(high.level.of.awareness.of.the.whole.municipality).

3.Example.for.cross.border.co-operation.Austria.–.Czech.Republic,.it.was.partially.funded.(50.%).by.the.province.of.Lower.Austria.(Niederösterreich).

Location:Owner:Architects/planners:Costs:.Completion.date:Building.type:Number.of.apartments:

Treated.Floor.Area:Energy.standard:Heating.and.hot.water:Ventilation:

Hostětín.,.Czech.RepublicCentre.VeronicaGeorg.W..Reinberg,.Vienna.and.Atelier.Zlamal.+.Stolek,.Brno1420.Euro/m²2006Masonry.construction5.(project.contains.a.tutorial.room,.a.guest.house.for.25.participants,.a.kitchen.and.an.engineering-office.in.the.first.floor)700.m²Passive-house-standardBiomass.(district.heating),.solar.panels.36m2,.PV.22.m2

Central.ventilation.system.unit.for.seminar.room,.office.and.kitchen,.decentralised.units.for.double.rooms.


5. the fifth example: energy-efficiency steps at kindergarden Biondekgasse – Baden (austria)

A.compulsory.but.free.kindergarten-year.for.every.child.in.Austria.has.launched.a.real.boom.in.kinder-garten.construction.around.the.country..Usually.for.such.public.amenities.our.city.councils.are.respon-sible.and.they.can.-.despite.strict.hygienic.norms.-.also.be.operated.in.passive.house.standard.As.if.the.last.available.space.had.been.“wrested”.from.the.suburban.settlement.area,.this.property.is.situated.behind.single-family.houses..Individual.functional. areas,. organized. in. a. loose. order. to.find.protection.against.wind.and.weather,.like.lit-

tle.houses..The.interior.arrangement.takes.up.the.principle.of.“square.–.alley.–.house“:.the.entrance.opens.towards.the.first.small.square,.the.alley.lea-ding.to.the.houses..Between.the.kids’.restaurant.and.the.exercise.room.is.a.public.space.which.can.be.linked.and.thus.become.one.unit.by.opening.the.big.sliding.walls..Here.a.street-side.restaurant.can.be.created,.a.market.square,.a.festival.squa-re..The.groups.develop. towards. the.outside. like.individual.houses,.with.two.groups.being.linked.by.galleries.which.also.provide.generous.lighting..The. building. rests. on. a. reinforced.concrete. slab.mounted.on.a.layer.of.foam.glass.ballast..The.ri-sing.walls.are.largely.built.in.wooden.frame.work..The. roof. construction. rests. on. a. series. of. pillars.and.is.also.made.of.lightweight.timber.

Location:Owner:Architect:Costs:Completion.date:Building.type:Treated.Floor.Area:.Energy.standard:Heating:Cooling:Ventilation:

Baden,.AustriaImmobilien.Baden.GmbH.&.CoKGJORDAN.[.architektur.&.energie.],.St..Valentin.www.jordan-solar.at2428.Euro/m²2009Wood.construction1059.m²Passive.house.standardFloor.heating.with.district.heatingNo.active.coolingCentral.system

Picture: Kindergarten in Baden from architect Ernst Michael Jordan

(Photo: Lothar Hasenleithner).



Heat.consumption: 15.kWh/m²a Heat.supply.from.district.heating..

Primary.energy.requ.: 31.kWh/m²a .

Floor.slab: 0,10.U.(W/m²K) Foam-glass.insulation.sprayed.in.under.the.concrete.slab..

Outer.walls: 0,10..U.(W/m²K) .Thickness.of.wall.insulation.40.cm.

Roof: 0,08.U.(W/m²K) .Thickness.of.roof.insulation.–.45.cm.

Windows: 0,70.U.(W/m²K) .

Air-tightness.(n50-value): No.information Centrally.controlled.ventilation.lead.by.CO2.with.heat.recovery


1. Kindergarten.in.passive.house.standard

2. Using.of.eco.materials.–.wooden.construction

3. Holistic.urban.planning

6. the sixth example: residential, row-houses Without heating systems – glumslöv (sweden)

The.residential.area.is.comprised.of.35.terrace.hou-ses.(living.area.70.–.115.m2)..The.houses.have.been.designed.to.provide.a.comfortable. indoor.climate.with.minimum.energy.consumption.(passive.house.standard).. The. construction,. incorporating. excel-lent.insulation,.high.air-tightness.and.heat.recove-ry.of.expelled.air.requires.NO.heating.system.The.houses.have.the.same.living.comfort.as.con-ventional.houses.and.living.there.doesn´t.require.any.extra.effort.or.extra.living.habits.(Fossum,.T.,.Eriksson,.L.,.2008).The. houses. are. fitted. with. supply. and. exhaust.ventilation.systems.and.air-to-air.heat.exchanger.with.approx..85.%.efficiency..They.have.achieved.high. air-tightness,. but. they. paid. great. attention.to. proper. planning. and. providing. construction.

workers.with.detailed.drawings.and.instructions..Measurements.have.shown.that.these.houses.are.among. the. most. air-tight. residential. buildings.in.Sweden.–.0.1.l/s.at.+50.Pa.pressure.difference.(Fossum,.T.,..Eriksson,.L.,.2008).Building.costs.were.not.higher.than.conventional.housing.(Fossum,.T.,.Eriksson,.L.,.2008)..One.could.think.that.extra.insulation.(floor.slab,.outer.walls,.tripled. glazed. windows). had. to. significantly. in-crease.costs,.but.there.were.no.costs.for.heating.systems.at.all.



Heat.consumption: .15.kWh/m²a .

Foundation.slab: 0.10.U.(W/(m²K).The.foundation.consists.of.a.10.cm.thick.concrete.slab.which.lies.on.35.cm.polystyrene.in.three.layers.and.20.cm.macadam.

Outer.walls: 0.10.U.(W/(m²K)Made.of.steel.and.wood.construction.and.it.was.insulated.with.45.cm.polystyrene.and.wool.insulation.

Roof: 0.08.U.(W/(m²K)Insulation.is.thick.55.cm.and.made.of.loose.wool.materials.

Windows: 0.9.–.1.0.U.(W/(m²K) Triple-glazed.window.

Air.tightness: 0.1.l/s. Measured.at.+50.Pa.pressure.difference.


1. Building.costs.have.not.been.higher.than.conventional.housing

2. .The.most.airtight.residential.building.in.Sweden

3. .Great.care.was.taken.during.the.planning

4..Experience.from.the.construction.project.in.Glumslöv.has.shown.that.the.lifecycle.cost.of.a.house.can.be.lowered.by.approximately.25.%

Location:Owner/Investor:Architect:Costs:Number.of.Flats:

Ground.floor.size:Energy.standard:Heating:Cooling:Ventilation:

Glumslöv,.SwedenLandskronahem.in.Glumslöv.-.municipal.housing.companyPrime.Project.ABCost.have.not.been.higher.than.conventional.housing.The.residential.area.comprised.of.35.terrace.houses.(living.area.range.between.70.–.115.m2)3452.m2

Passive.house.standardHeat.recovery.of.expelled.air.requires.NO.heating.systemNo.coolingVentilation.system.with.counter-flow.heat.recovery.of.85.%.efficiency


Stakeholders – who joins the project on the way to passive house

As.always,.the.basic.idea.is.to.balance.the.value.of.investment.in.energy.savings.and.the.amount.of.saved.energy.(frankly.speaking:.“the.cheapest.energy.is.not.spent.energy”)..All.presented.cases.have.something.in.common..They.proved.that.proper.planning.at.an.early.stage.is.critical.for.time,.costs.and.quality.of.construction..However,.proper.planning.also.means.to.involve.all.important.stakeholders.at.an.early.stage.of.the.project..Generally,.one.could.say.that.each.profession.has.its.own.directions.to.follow.within.the.development.and.execution.of.energy.saving.projects..During.the.planning.and.realization.of.larger.building.projects,.it.is.necessary.to.bear.in.mind.the.cooperation.between.professions.and.involved.stakeholders..So,.don’t.forget.to.involve:

1. client

Whether.it.is.municipality.or.it.is.a.single.user.or.big.company,.the.client.is.the.main.stakeholder.in.a.pro-cess..First,.the.client.is.the.one.financing.the.project.and.deciding.on.the.direction.of.the.project.and.gi-ving.requirements..Therefore.as.a.client.don’t.forget.to.make.energy.efficiency.a.priority.requirement.

2. Designer.

Designer. brings. personal. wishes. of. the. investor.(client).how.the.building.will.operate.considering.all.aspects.and.finding.technical.solutions.for.energy.issues.. It. is.usually.done.by.the.architect,.but.the.process. of. designing. ends. with. the. building.permit.

3. architect

Architect. forms. a. group. of. involved. engineers.with. special. experiences. for. each. individual.construction. aspect. (structural,. mechanical,.electrical). and. ensuring. the. technical. feasibility.of.the.whole.project..

4. engineer

Engineer. is. specialized. in. the. field. of. heating/cooling,. ventilation,. thermal. bridges,. energy.certificates.(e.g..fire.protection,.noise.protection,.etc.). and. others.. The. energy. specified. engineer.must. have. the. ability. to. consult. in. energy-.efficient.construction.


5. construction companies

Experienced. construction. companies. who. are.executing.in.reality.what.was.in.the.form.of.a.blu-eprint.. According. to. experience,. they. are. a. key.element.to.reach.good.results.related.to.energy.efficiency..

6. authorities

Authorities. in. a. permit. process. ensure. project.compliance.with.national.or.regional.law.related.to. the. building. process.. Their. final. acceptance.must. not. only. reveal. this,. but. has. to. check. the.technical. claims. of. the. buildings.. Moreover,. lo-cal.councils.can.create.a.framework.and.set.eco-nomic. incentives. for. energy. efficient. buildings.(small.subsidies,.tax.incentives,.etc.).and.motivate.their.residents.to.save.energy.

7. user

At. the. end. of. the. chain. is. the. user. of. a. passive.house. who. should. be. aware. of. the. basic. princi-ples.of.operation,.even.though.experienced.users.say.it.doesn’t.require.any.special.skills.to.operate.such.a.building..

Be. aware. that. advanced. plan-ning. involving. all. stakeholders.in. the. process. at. an. early. stage.can.significantly.reduce.costs.and.assures.desired.energy.efficiency.results..

Picture: Residential area Kronsberg in Hannover (GERMANY), built in low energy standard. (Photo: Jörg Faltin)

Selection Criteria: Building in a broader perspective

We. presented. the. best. practice. examples. from.western. and. eastern. European. countries. to. de-monstrate.that.to.go.“passive”.is.possible..But.open.questions.arise.for.stakeholders.at.municipalities:.

how to decide what kind of practice can be used?

how do we know that this or that building serves our needs and expectations?

What criteria should be taken into consideration?

In.all.presented.cases.we.refer.to.a.complex.of.ap-plied.measures..It.is.impossible.to.talk.only.about.technical.aspects.without.neglecting.aspects.such.as.financial.sustainability.of.the.project.or.design.principles,. or. about. using. eco-materials.. For. this.purpose,. a. simplified. tool. for. easy. use. has. been.developed. to. provide. a. first. step. for. the. holistic.evaluation.of.a.building.at.the.stage.of.planning.or.before.retrofitting.activities,.to.increase.the.ener-gy. performance. of. a. building.. However,. the. tool.is.not.meant.for.energy.certification.of.a.building,.and.does.not.replace.any.of.the.existing.systems.for.evaluation.and.certification.applied.elsewhere.This.tool:.The.INTENSE.Chart.uses.a.set.of.criteria.for.

better.orientation.in.construction.practice,.althou-gh.users.of.this.tool.are.free.to.decide.on.a.range.of.important.criteria.most.suited.to.their.needs..Generally,.it.has.been.given.attention.to.technical.criteria,.to.save.energy.as.much.as.one.can.with.application. of. the. cutting-edge. technologies. in.building.industry,.but.there.are.other.aspects.for.a.broader.picture.of.the.building.process..

• social-economic criteria.reflects.the.estima-tion. of. facts,. like. cost,. cost-effectiveness,. as-pects.of.the.building.in.its.settlement.context,.choice. of. materials. and. indoor. climate,. ap-plying.a.special.energy.standard,.design.prin-ciples.for.the.building,.as.well.as.quality.con-trol.for.the.planning.and.execution.phases.

• Building elements. related. criteria. reflect.directly. to. measurable. values. on. thickness.(U-value). for. insulation. of. roof,. walls. and. flo-or,.and.U-value.of.windows,.as.well.as.the.air.tightness.of.the.building.

• energy technologies rrelated. criteria. reflect.systems.for.ventilation,.energy.supply.systems.for.heating.and.cooling,.and.also.the.use.of.re-newable.energy.sources.



There. are. 16. criteria. expressed. with. a. simplified.colour. table. (see. next. page).. The. complete. ex-planation.of.all.16.criteria.can.be.found.in.an.expert.paper.–.List.of.Evaluation.Criteria.published.on.the.web.(www.inetnse-energy.eu)..An.example.below.demonstrates.how.the.criteria.have.been.applied.on.a.retrofitted.building.in.Germany.(Rotlintstraße.from.Frankfurt)..This.project.was.a.reconstruction.

of.the.building.from.the.early.1950s.and.its.opera-tion.and.energy.demand.was.very.high..Therefore.they. have. decided. for. complete. reconstruction..The. results. were. unbelievable. when. a. building.with.consumption.of.220.kW/m2/a.dropped.to.pas-sive.standard..Our.evaluation.tool.has.proven.that.almost.all.aspects.are. fully.applied,.and.from.the.chart.it.is.clear.by.the.prevailing.green.colour.

Scheme: “EVA” - Evaluation tool of buildings. (Source: Auraplan and E.U.[Z].)

Adaptation Concept: Diverse climate diverse technical solutions

The. already. mentioned. EPBD. recast. showed. the.direction.among.European.countries:.zero.energy.buildings. should. be. standard. in. the. near. future..This. sounds. very. ambitious,. but. the. decision. is.founded.on.practical.experience:.very.low.energy.houses.have.been.realized.for.all.types.of.residen-tial.houses,.detached,.row.and.multi.storey.houses,.and.almost.all. types.of.non.residential.buildings..These.buildings.can.be.found.in.all.European.cli-mate.zones,.from.Norway.to.Italy.

The.definition.of.a.building.in.which.thermal.com-fort. (usually. 21. °C,. but. can. vary. from. country. to.country). is. guaranteed. by. re-heating. or. re-coo-ling.fresh.air.is.independent.of.climate.conditions..Adaptation.means:.What.to.do.with.the.building.envelope.under.different.climate.conditions.to.re-ach.the.given.goal?.How.big.is.the.influence.of.cli-mate.or.micro.climate.conditions?.What.are.typical.u-values.for.building.elements?.Are.there.special.requirements. for. openings. or. blinds. and. what. is.recommended.for.a.certain.climate?The. answers. to. these. questions. can. be. found. in.the. third. expert. paper. –. Passive house adaptation

concept. (www.inetnse-energy.eu).. The. essence. of.adaptation.concept.was.to.find.first.rough.estima-tions.about.the.main.buildings’.characteristics.and.to.define.technical.parameters.changing.according.to.climate.conditions..We.used.a.simple.experiment.when.one.type.of.very.low.energy.house.was.sent.virtually.around.in.CEE.countries..This.“model.hou-se”. was. tested. in. diverse. climate. conditions. and.with.the.help.of.a.PHPP4.software.we.could.see.how.technical.parameters.change.per.climate..

The.results.from.the.experiment.demonstrated.that.a.building.of.passive.house.standard.is.possible.to.construct. in.diverse.climatic.conditions.sometimes.with.few.changes..Besides.climate.conditions.in.our.adaptation,.considered.also.were.technical.feasibility.and. social-economic. aspect.. In. other. words,. to.show.a.reader.what.technical.measures.have.to.be.applied.in.climate.conditions.and.how.much.it.will.cost.and.what.tools.for.easy.calculation.can.be.used..A.comparative.study.was.conducted. in.3.different.climatic. regions. from. cold. (northern-European.countries),.through.to.mild-climate.(Central.Europe),.and.finally.the.hot.region.of.southern.Europe..


3 The Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) is the key design tool used when planning a Passive House and as such, serves as the basis of verification for the Passive House Standard. It is the program developed by the Passive House Institute and its director Dr. Wolfgang Feist. (Source: www.passivhaustagung.de)

Success stories changing the energy stereotypes


In.the.section.“Success.stories.which.have.chan-ged. energy. stereotypes”. we. are. providing. you.with.success.stories..Sometimes.in.our.city.we.pass.a.building.and.usually.people.look.at.the.building.from.the.perspective.how.does. it. look,.whether.it.fit.to.its.surroundings..In.many.cases,.we.don’t.even.know.the.building.has.cutting.edge.techno-logy..Or.we.don’t.know.that.annual.running.costs.per. square. meter. are. lower. than. the. price. for. a.coffee.. Some. buildings. are. small. “power. plants”.and.because.of.its.low.energy.consumption,.they.can.share.produced.energy.and.sell.it.to.the.grid..This.doesn’t.occur.coincidentally.but.behind.each.of. these. “energy. success”. is. a. key-mover.. The-re. is. a. vision,. sometimes. dream,. sometimes. just.a. feeling.that. it. is.possible..Therefore. in.this. last.part. we. are. presenting. the. mentioned. stories..There.is.a.story.when.the.architect.was.the.main.driving.force.to.bring.his.vision.to.the.real.world..Another. one. is. tells. a. story. about. the. building.company.which.made.the.first.step..Then.we.are.introducing. the. Energy. department. from. Frank-furt.which.changed.the.complete.philosophy.and.made.a.180.degree.turn.. In.the.last.story.we.ex-plain. how. good. communication. between. client.and.architect.can.change.the.project.of.a.family.house.resulting.in.8.times.less.energy.consumpti-on..The.aim.is.to.demonstrate.that.energy.savings.can.originate. from.entirely.different.groups.ran-ging. from. the. private. investor. to. policy. makers,.and.from.a.big.company.to.an.individual..

1. success story: When the architect makes a breakthrough

2. success story: When the private housing

company makes a breakthrough

3. success story: When the municipality makes a breakthrough

4. success story: When the private client makes a breakthrough


1. Success story : When the architect makes a breakthrough

– “Solar-Settlement Schlierberg, Freiburg (GERMANY)”

“the sun never sends a bill, it shines for everyone and the sun does not need to be distributed.”

The.architect.Rolf.Disch.got.the.task.to.create.a.very.real.new.settlement.for.private.homes..This.was.set.by.a.private.company.from.the.musical.business..When.this.company.entered.insolvency,.a.group.of.private. investors.proceeded.with.the.project,.be-cause.it.was.already.developed.and.planned.Architect. Disch. had. a. vision. to. create. homes.producing. their. own. electricity.. To. build. houses.which.have.positive.energy.balance:.these.houses.

are.not.only.low.energy.consumers.but.are.ener-gy. producers!. Recently. known. as. “plus. energy.homes”.

When.he.was.asked.in.an.interview.in.2009.in.the.TAZ.newspaper,.he.also.said.that:.„First you have to use what costs nothing. This means saving energy, using solar power, while sharing much quality of life. „

Picture: Architect Rolf Disch and his Solar-Settlement Schlierberg in Freiburg (GERMANY). (Photo source: Rolf Disch)



1.Architect.Rolf.Disch,.with.his.projects.has.proven.that.the.plus.energy.building.(zero-energy.building).is.not.just.a.scientific.flight.of.fancy,.but.a.realistic.future

2..„First.you.have.to.use.what.costs.nothing..This.means.saving.energy,.using.solar.power,.while.sharing.much.quality.of.life.“.(Rudolf.Disch)

3..“The.sun.never.sends.a.bill,.it.shines.for.everyone.and.the.sun.does.not.need.to.be.distri-buted.”.(Rudolf.Disch)

Location:Owner/Investor:Architect:Costs:

Completion.date:Building..Type:Number.of.Flats:Groundfloor.size:

Treated.Floor.Area.:

Energy.standard:Ecology:

Heating.and.Hot.Water:Cooling:Ventilation:

Freiburg,.South-GermanyPrivate.InvestorRolf.DischThe.purchase.price.for.the.terraced.houses,.including.property.and.developer’s.costs,.ranged.between.EUR.2700/m2.and.EUR.3300/.m2,.depending.on.the.individual.fittings..The.houses.are.rented.out.for.an.average.rent.of.EUR.11/.m2..(Gaiddon.B.,.Kaan.H.,.Munro.D.,.2009)1998multistory.and.row.houses,.commercial.building596745.m2.multistorey.house6034.m2.row.houses6745m².in.multistory.houses,.6034m².in.row.houses..1200m².in.shops.in.ground.floor,.3600m².service.centre.above.ground.floor10-20.kWh/(.m2*a)According.to.calculation.of.optimal.efficiency,.the.settlement.totally.saves.annually.200000.litres.of.oil.and.500.tons.of.CO2

Woodchip.heat.power.plant.(in.neighbourhood),.solar.hot.water.systemNo.active.cooling.necessaryVentilation.with.heat.recovery

note: .since.2011.in.Freiburg.all.new.apartment.buildings.must.fulfil.passive.house.standards,.which.is.also.a.basis.for.“plus.energy.homes”.


2. Success story – when the municipal housing company makes a breakthrough

Initiative. came. from. outside.. From. experts. who.made.houses.which.worked.without.active.hea-ting.system,.and.they.have.been.eager.to.present.it..They.organized.excursions..The.first.excursion.was. in. summer. and. it. wasn´t. convincing. for. us..During.the.second.visit.to.the.first.passive.multifa-mily.house.intended.for.low-income.people,.the.manager. interviewed. inhabitants. directly. about.their. satisfaction..Everybody. would. live.again. in.such.a.house,.and.this.is.where.the.story.of.ABG.holding.began..Since.then.the.Frankfurt.housing.company.ABG.makes.all.their.projects.of.passive.house.standard.


1.Take.decision.makers.from.your.municipality.to.a.passive.house.excursion.and.thus.give.them.possibility.to.make.right.decision

2.Communicate.closely.with.tenants.to.meet.their.needs.and.satisfaction.and.the.best.is.to.start.at.the.early.phase.of.planning

3.The.ABG.municipal.housing.company.makes.all.projects.in.passive.house.standards.including.new.building.projects.and.also.refurbishment.projects

�0 Passive housing for active communities Passive housing for active communities �1

3. Success story: When the municipality makes a breakthrough

Located.on.the.Main.River,.South.West.of.Germa-ny,. Frankfurt. is. home. to. approximately. 650. 000.inhabitants,.Frankfurt.am.Main.is.the.largest.city.in. the. German. Land. of. Hesse. and. the. fifth. lar-gest.city. in.Germany..The.total.area.of.Frankfurt.is.248.3.km²,.including.15.4%.forests..The.average.annual.temperature.is.of.11°C.In.1999.the.city.council.decided.to.support.the.1-litre-house.inside.the.cities.newly.developed.set-tlements.and.public.projects.. In.2007.the.decisi-on.for.erecting.every.new.building.in.Frankfurt.in.passive-house-standard.was.taken.by.the.town´s.council..Mayor.Mrs..Petra.Roth.led.the.council.to.this.de-cision:.“We cannot take responsibility to build any-thing other than the passive-house-standard becau-se of additional costs of only 5 – 8 %.“This.decision.shows.the.attitude.of.the.city.which.since.then.has.forced.many.others.to.make.passi-ve-house.standards.obligatory. in.Frankfurt. for.all.buildings:.Any.new.building,.also.refurbishments,.reconstructions.of.old.buildings,.property.sale.or.building. area. designations. –. all. projects. have. to.conform.to.this.standard..This.caused.a.remarkable.number. of. projects. supporting. renewable. ener-gies. for. office. and. industry. buildings,. residential.buildings,.and.domestic.homes.in.this.area.

Frankfurt. was. furthermore. one. of. the. first. Ger-man.cities.which.installed.its.own.energy.agency..They.offer.advantageous.energy.contracts.for.all.city.projects.and.lead.energy.supply.to.new.eco-logical.and.resource.saving.ways..This.agency. is.

economic-aware. according. to. the. city’s. finances.–.on.the.other.hand.the.energy.supply.is.innovati-ve.and.sustainable..In.addition.to.this,.Frankfurt.is.editing.the.“Guidelines.for.economical.construc-tion“.as.a.brochure.which.is.updated.every.year..It. contains. instructions. for. planners,. craftsmen,.other. professionals. and. interested. citizens. to.lead.towards.passive-house-standard.in.building.processes.. Guidelines. for. renewable. and. non-hazardous.materials. for. technical.and.electronic.equipment. can. be. found. here.. This. method. of.calculation.has.been.translated. for. INTENSE.and.can.be.downloaded.for.free.on.the.city’s.energy.homepage,.see.the.website.navigation.“Informa-tion. in. English”. at:. . www.energiemanagement.stadt-frankfurt.de

“Guidelines for economical constructions – City of Frankfurt a. M./Germany“

This is an example when responsible

municipality is becoming a shining

example also for developers, private

investors and its citizens. Moreover,

this example is worth following

also by other municipalities.

�0 Passive housing for active communities Passive housing for active communities �1


1.Your.municipality.should.have.clearly.declared.their.energy.goals.and.then.to.make.the.best.to.reach.them.

2.To.reach.significant.results.in.energy.efficiency.on.municipal.level.you.don’t.need.to.have.a.huge.energy.department,.sometimes.4.people.can.make.break.through.(e.g..Frankfurt.or.Münster)

3.First,.make.proper.calculations.(e.g..life.cycle.costs,.payback.period,.etc.).and.planning.because.higher.initial.costs.for.maintaining.the.better.energy.standard.doesn’t.necessari-ly.mean.higher.costs.during.the.lifespan.of.a.building

“Guidelines for economical constructions – City of Frankfurt a. M./Germany“

Picture: Skyline of Frankfurt (GERMANY). (Photo: Jörg Faltin)

4. Success story – When the private client makes a breakthrough

Initiative. came. from. outside.. From. experts. who.made.houses.which.worked.without.active.hea-ting.system,.and.they.have.been.eager.to.present.it..They.organized.excursions..The.first.excursion.was. in. summer. and. it. wasn´t. convincing. for. us..During.the.second.visit.to.the.first.passive.multifa-mily.house.intended.for.low-income.people,.the.manager. interviewed. inhabitants. directly. about.their. satisfaction..Everybody. would. live.again. in.such.a.house,.and.this.is.where.the.story.of.ABG.holding.began..Since.then.the.Frankfurt.housing.company.ABG.makes.all.their.projects.of.passive.house.standard.

Story told by Ervins Krauklis, architect of the house: There is a funny history behind this. The client sent a brief program to several architecture offices by e-mail, including ours. So we had a meeting, and

just beamed the picture of the house on the wall. Reaction came in a minute, and it was very posi-tive. A house, designed as an abstract study, met its owner. However I wasn‘t chosen because of my interest in PH design.

I should say that three companies participated in the tender, and the local one was chosen. The offer of the winning company was something around EUR 100,000, but cheaper than the most expensive, that was offered by a kind of friend of the client. This is a good example of the often asked price gap between PH and regular construction - sometimes gaps between regular constructions differ much more, depending on who makes the calculation. In the end the client got back to me after he had recon-sidered his original plan and decided to go passive.

Picture: A single family house by the Baltic Sea in Lielkalni – Gipka village, Roja district, LATVIA. (Photo: Ervins Krauklis)

�2 Passive housing for active communities Passive housing for active communities ��

�2 Passive housing for active communities Passive housing for active communities ��


Heat.requirement:Between.15.to.27.

kWh/(m²/a)

These.are.theoretical.values.and.according.to.the.worst.case.scenario.heat.requirement.can.reach.maximum.of.27.kWh/(m²/a)

Foundation.slab: 0,076.kWh/(m²/a)Monolithic.concrete.on.insulating.layer.of.foam.glass.granulate

Outer.walls: 0,07.U.(W/m²K)Lightweight.clay.ceramsite.concrete.bricks.25.cm.insulated.with.glass.wool.in.timber.I-beam.system

Roof: 0,05.U.(W/m²K)Nail.plate.timber.trusses,.insulated.with.glass.wool..Covered.with.aspen.shingles

Windows: 0,8.U.(W/m²K) Wooden.windows

Air.tightness: .No.data.available .


1. To.be.active.as.a.citizen/client.can.bring.very.good.results

2.Sometimes.there.are.bigger.price.differences.in.standard.houses.therefore.ask.for.an.offer.from.architect.specialised.in.passive.This.counts.whether.you.act.as.a.private.client.or.as.representative.of.your.municipality.

3. Communicate.actively.with.chosen.architect.during.the.whole.project

Location:Owner/Investor:Architect:Completion.date:Building.Type.:Treated.Floor.Area.:Energy.standard:Ecological.Measures:Heating.and.Hot.Water.:Ventilation:

Gipka,.LatviaPrivate.ownerErvins.Krauklis2009Two.storey.single.family.house184.m²Passive.house.standardPV.panels;.only.local.timber.used;.trad..roof.coveringBrine-to-water.heat.pumpVentilation.system.with.high.efficient.heat.recovery

�� Passive housing for active communities Passive housing for active communities ��

Conclusion

To. sum. up,. according. to. passive. house. projects.which.have.already.been.implemented.in.gene-ral,.we.can.conclude.that.the.technical.solutions.are. in. place.. The. promoted. passive. house. stan-dard.is.neither.a.new.discourse,.nor.a.pilot.action,.and.there.are.continually.diminished.constraints.and.concerns.from.opponents..Neither.technical.application.nor.financial.means.are.barriers..Mo-reover,.the.lessons.from.key-movers.and.presen-ted.examples.have.taught.us.that:•. any.building.can.be.built.of.passive.house.stan-

dard. whether. in. terms. of. apartment. block. or.kindergarten;

•. proper.planning.at.an.early. stage. is.critical. in.terms.of.time,.cost.and.quality.of.construction,.both.for.new.buildings.and.also.refurbishment.of..old.buildings;.

•. with.regards.to.energy.supply,.first.we.should.use.that.which.costs.nothing.(Rudolf.Disch);

•. the. difference. in. initial. costs. for. conventional.buildings.and.passive.houses.has.lowered.and.good.tendering.procedures.can.decrease.costs.significantly;.

•. to. make. a. breakthrough. in. energy. efficiency.at. the. municipal. level. we. don’t. need. to. have.a.huge.department,.sometimes.it.is.just.about.two.highly.committed.employees;

•. each.municipality.should.have.clearly.defined.energy.goals.and.it.is.always.better.to.be.pre-pared. before. EU. directives. come. into. . force.(e.g..zero-energy.buildings).

Despite. this. we. need. to. emphasize. that. in. the.future.it.will.be.increasingly.difficult.to.compare.construction.projects..There.are.a.growing.num-ber.of.technical.options.to.realize.energy.efficient.projects.and.zero-energy.buildings..Every.project.is.individual,.even.though.you.can.build.two.iden-tical.buildings.there.are.no.two.identical.projects..In.the.broader.picture,.to.assure.more.sustainable.living.should.also.be.considered.aspects.other.than.only.building.elements.(e.g..connection.to.public.transport,.convenient.distances. to.schools,.work,.shops,.etc.)..Otherwise. the.energy.savings.achie-ved. by. using. passive. housing. will. be. consumed.by.other.energy.demands.(e.g..transportation)..In.order.to.complete.this.puzzle,.we.introduced.you.to.the.evaluation.tool.of.more.aspects.than.merely.building.elements..However,.note.that.each.coun-try.has.its.own.circumstances.influenced.by.natio-nal.legislation,.climatic.conditions,.etc;.therefore.it.is.necessary.to.keep.this.in.mind.What.we.found.to.be.critical.was.for.this.voice.to.be.heard.by.all.the.actors.who.play.vital.roles.in.the.development.and.construction.industry,.from.the.early.stages.of.planning.and.development,.to.the.construction,.maintenance,.and.everyday.use.of.the.building..We. hope. that. you. found. inspiration. in. the. pre-sented. cases. and. success. stories,. and. that. you.will.become.a.key-mover.in.your.municipality.to.make.it.act.responsibly.in.the.meaning.-.Passive.housing.for.active.communities.

�� Passive housing for active communities Passive housing for active communities ��

References

Best.practice.examplesEuropean.Parliament,.(2010),.Directive.2010/31/EC.of.the.European.Parliament.and.of.the.Council.on.the.energy.performance.of.buildings.(recast),.pp.13.-.35.PASSNET.project,.(2010),.Current.situation.of.Passive.House.in.Europe,.http://www.pass-net.net/situation/index.htm,.visited.20.7.2011Hermelink,.A..(2006a):.SOLANOVA-Highly.Efficient.Ventilation.As.a.Means.to.Reach.a.Healthy.Sustainable.Standard.in.Retrofi.t.of.Residential.Buildings..Proceedings.of.8th.Healthy.Buildings.Conference..June.4-8,.2006..Lisbon,.Portugal.Hermelink,.A..(2006b).Reality.Check:.The.Example.SOLANOVA,.Hungary.In:.Proceedings.of.the.European.Conference.and.Cooperation.Exchange.2006..Sustainable.Energy.Systems.for.Buildings.-.Challenges.and.Chances..November.15-17,.2006..Vienna,.Austria.

Biondekgasse,.Baden,.AustriaErnst.Michael.Jordan,.2010,.Kindergarten.Baden.–.Biondekgasse,.project.discription,.http://www.jordan-solar.at/projektdetail.php?id=45.visited.April.2011Ernst.Michael.Jordan,.Fact.sheets.of.national.Passive.House.examples.in.Austria.-.Kindergarten.Baden./.Biondekgasse,.http://www.pass-net.net/fact-sheets/factsheets_a.htm.visited.April.2011Die.Besten,.2010,.Awardees.of.Niederösterreich.wood.construction.competition,.http://www.holzbaupreis-noe.at/die-besten-2000-2010/2010/detail/detail/kindergarten-baden-biondekgasse/.visited.April.2011Jordan.Atelier.für.Solararchitektur,.2009,.fact.sheet.of.passive.housings.in.Austria,.data.bank,.http://www.igpassivhaus.at/%C3%96sterreich/DatenbankenFE/Objektdatenbank/tabid/120/language/de-DE/Default.aspx.visited.April.2011.(only.german)Feist,.W.,.2006,.Definition.of.passive.houses,.published.on.the.WEB:.http://www.passivhaustagung.de/Passive_House_E/passivehouse_definition.html,.visited:.2009.Faltin,.J.,.von.Knorre,.Ch.,.(2009),.Energy.performance.of.buildings.–.Glossary.of.terms,.Latvia,.pp.24.

Hostetín,.Czech.Republic,.Seminary.CenterGeorg.W..Reinberg,.2010,.Seminarzentrum.Hostetín,.project.description,.http://www.reinberg.net/architektur/137,.visited.April.2011.(only.german)Georg.W..Reinberg,.2010,.Fact.sheets.of.national.Passive.House.examples.in.Europe,.seminary.center.in.Hostetín,.Czech.Republic.(pdf),.http://www.pass-net.net/downloads/pdf/factsheet_cz_hostetin.pdf,.visited.April.2011.(german.and.english)Georg.W..Reinberg,.Ateliér.Zlámal.a.Stolek,.2010,.Project.description.in.Czech.Republic!,.http://www.pasivnidomy.cz/domy/centrum-veronica.html,.visited.April.2011.(czech.and.english)Georg.W..Reinberg,.Atelier.Zlámal.a.Stolek,.2010,.Centrum.Veronica.Hostětín.–.project.description.in.passive.house.data.bank,.http://www.passivhausdatenbank.eu/obj_basic_show.php?objID=CZ-0353,.visited.April.2011.(various.languages)

Success.stories.-.Rotlintstraße,.Frankfurt.am.Mainfaktor.10,.2008.–.2010,.Eenergetic.reconstruction.of.residential.buildings.from.the.50‘s.to.reach.„zero-emission-house“,.http://www.faktor10.com/frameprojekte.htm,visited.April.2011.(only.german)faktor.10,.2011,.Technical.data.project.Frankfurt.–.Nordend,.http://www.faktor10.com/frankfurtnordendprojektbeschreibung.htm,.visited.April.2011.(only.German)Marc.Großklos,.2011,.Energetic.reconstruction.Rotlintstraße.116.-.128.in.Frankfurt.am.Main,.http://www.iwu.de/forschung/energie/laufend/energetische-sanierung-rotlintstrasse/,.visited.April.2011.(only.German)Marc.Großklos,.Dr..Thilo.Koch,.Dr..Nikolaus.Diefenbach,.Darmstadt.2010,.Wissenschaftliche.Begleitung.der.Sanierung.Rotlintstraße.116-128.in,.Frankfurt.a..M..-.Planungsphase.und.Null-Emissions-Konzept,.http://www.iwu.de/forschung/energie/laufend/energetische-sanierung-rotlintstrasse/,.visited.April.2011.(German.and.English)

�� Passive housing for active communities

Success.story.-.Solar-Settlement.Schlierberg,.Freiburg.(GERMANY)”Rolf.Disch,.Die.Solarsiedlung.in.Freiburg,.1998.–.2004,.Project.description.on.the.architects.homepage..http://rolfdisch.de/index.php?p=home&pid=78&L=1&host=2#a564,.visited.April.2011.(text.in.german.and.english)TaZ.Newspaper,.Rolf.Disch.–.the.solar.architect,.2009Interview.with.Rolf.Disch.in.TaZ.Newspaper,.Germany.http://rolfdisch.de/index.php?p=home&pid=16&L=0&host=2#a624,.visited.April.2011.(only.german)Project.site.for.the.commercial.building.“Sonnenschiff”.(sun.ship).www.sonnenschiff.de.Information.in.german,.visited.26th.april.2011Werkstatt-Stadt.(workshop.town).is.a.project.database.and.an.internet.platform.of.the..Bundesinstitut.für.Bau-,.Stadt-.und.Raumforschung.im.Bundesamt.für.Bauwesen.und.Raumordnung.(Federal.Institute.for.Research.on.Building,.Urban.Affairs.and.Spatial.Development.within.the.Federal.Office.for.Building.and.Regional.Planning).Project.group.Werkstatt-Stadt.(Werkstatt-Stadt).Brigitte.Adam,.Bernd.Breuer,.Manfred.Fuhrich,.Evi.Goderbauer,.Mechthild.Renner,.Robert.Schmell..Deichmanns.Aue.31.–.37..D-53179.Bonn,.www.werkstatt-stadt.de/en/projects/22,.Information.in.English,.visited.april.2011Decision.of.Freiburg.for.passivhouse.standard,.www.freiburg.de.Information.in.german,.visited.26th.april.2011

Success.story.-.Guidelines.to.economic.building,.City.of.Frankfurt.a.M./Germany.Guidelines.for.economical.construction,.2011,.Frankfurt.http://www.energiemanagement.stadt-frankfurt.de/.look.for.„Information.in.English“.–.then.find.a.list.of.informal.brochures.of.the.energy.departement.of.Frankfurt.visited.April.20th.2011Total.Cost.Calculation.download.of.forms,.notes.and.help.sheets.www.energiemanagement.stadt-frankfurt.de.Information.in.English,.visited.April.2011Passive.house.resolution.www.energiemanagement.stadt-frankfurt.de,.Information.in.English,.visited.April.2011.Infopaket.Passivhäuser.Website.and.downloads,.http://www.frankfurt.de/sixcms/detail.php?id=3837&_ffmpar[_id_inhalt]=67265,.visited.April.2011.

Success.story.-.Lielkalni,.Gipka.Village,.LATVIA.1Projekti.Latvijā.:.Ģipkas.“Lielkalni”,.2010.project.description.on.Latvian.homepage.for.passive.buildings.http://passivehouse.lv/lv/projekti-latvija/,.visited.on.20th.April.2011.(only.Latvian)Ervins.Krauklis,.Lielkalni.basic.information.about.the.building,.2011.http://www.passiv.lv/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Lielkalni-PH-Latvia-Description-KG.pdf,.visited.on20th.April.2011.(English)Interview.Ervins.Krauklis.conducted.by.Joerg.Faltin,.2011.

Quotes.of.Rolf.DischAll.taken.from.an.interview.with.Rolf.Disch,.title:.Rolf.Disch,.the.solar.architect,.in:.TAZ,.Germany,.September.5th,.2010.Interviewer.:.Ernst.Volland.

Useful linkshttp://www.ots.at/presseaussendung/OTS_20061024_OTS0057/niedrigenergie-und-solararchitektur-im-seminarzentrum-hostetnwww.rolfdisch.deAPA-OTS.–.Originaltext-Service.Niedrigenergie-.und.Solararchitektur.im.Seminarzentrum.Hostetínhttp://www.ots.at/presseaussendung/OTS_20061024_OTS0057/niedrigenergie-und-solararchitektur-im-seminarzentrum-hos-tetn,.visited.April.2011.(only.German)

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