Passive houses – the future of energy conservation
A passive house is a structure that loses almost no heat through its walls, roof and windows, thanks to extremely high levels of thermal insulation. Sunlight provides nearly all the heating the house requires, with the rest coming from the people who live there (a human being emits around 80 W of energy every hour into their immediate environment) and the heat released within the house by electrical equipment such as hairdryers and appliances like the oven and hob. A passive house can be aired and windows opened to circulate fresh air and make for comfortable indoor temperatures in spring and summer just like any other house. During the winter and on cooler days, however, an air circulation and heat recovery system takes over the job. Heat from extracted air is transferred to fresh air to prevent heat loss.Whether summer or winter, the temperature is always just right in a passive house.The passive house showhome (variant 45 -176“) at HANSE HAUS headquarters has been officially certified by the Passive House Institute in Darmstadt, thus confirming its compliance with stringent requirements for annual heat consumption, airtightness, primary energy use and a selection of other criteria.
Innovative construction techniques in detail. How a passive house saves valuable energy
1 Passive HANSE HAUS wall structure with 250 mm thick external insulation and overall thickness of 410 mm. U-value of just 0,09 W/m²K
2 260 mm insulation between the rafters and an additional, fully insulated 100 mm dry lining. U-value of just 0,11 W/m²K
3 Passive house windows with triple thermal-insulated glazing. Ug- value of just 0,61 W/m²K
Thanks to the milder climate in parts of the UK, the passive house standard can also be achieved using building components with less insulation.
4 When it comes to heating a passive house, various options are available. The minimal annual heating requirements of just 15 kWh per square metre can be covered with little technical expenditure. We can recommend the following technical packages for your passive house. For other alternatives, speak to your expert advisor:
Option 1:
The cost-efficient solution
A small-scale gas condensing boiler is combined with a controlled ventilation system with heat recovery. The capacity of the gas condensing boiler is calibrated to the low energy requirements of the passive house.
Option 2:
The ecological solution
Using an earth collector and the warmth of extracted air, the fresh supply air is pre-heated by a compact ventilation system using heat recovery. The minimal amount of additional heating required is provided by a small thermal heat pump, which delivers the heat to the rooms of the house by means of underfloor heating.
This solution is used in our passive house showhome.
5 Floor panel with 300 mm thick insulation on underside. Extra 120 mm insulation beneath the loft. U-value is just 0,09 W/m²K
The shell of the passive house keeps heat safely inside
A wide range of structural details must be considered and consolidated in a passive house. All structural components, particularly those for the walls and roof, are extraordinarily well insulated to successfully prevent heat loss. Special focus is placed on the air-tight finish of the structural shell to retain valuable heat within the house. All seams and connections are therefore sealed meticulously.
