Why Build A Passive House…?  

The Passive House is the world’s leading standard in energy efficient building. Energy saved on heating is 80% compared to conventional standards of new buildings. Depending on climate, the energy requirement for heating is lower than 10 to 20 kWh/(m²a), adding up to a low cost of 15 to 25 € per month. 

Very efficient components and a high-tech ventilation system, achieve these giant savings without compromising comfort, but rather increasing it.

The Passive House concept is a comprehensive approach to cost-efficient, high quality, healthy and sustainable construction. The concept is easy to understand:

• Modern construction is quite airtight, therefore the air replacement from infiltration is not sufficient. Even if it is the oldest method, ventilating by opening windows is not a convincing strategy either. Getting a sufficient volume of fresh air is not just a question of comfort, but a requirement for healthy living conditions. Therefore mechanical ventilation is the key technology for all new construction as well as refurbishment of existing buildings. Mechanical ventilation will work in all cold and all hot climates since in an airtight insulated house, the heating and cooling energy required will be significantly less.
  
• Even though mechanical ventilation systems raise initial investment costs, if designed efficiently they will reduce energy costs significantly, eventually paying off the initial cost.
  
• Here is the fundamental "secret" of the Passive House concept: The fresh air needed is entering the room anyhow. If one could use this air to cover the heating load, without increasing the mass flow, without recirculated air, without noise and without drafts - then the ventilation will pay off a second time.
  
• This concept of "fresh air heating" is only possible in a building with superior thermal insulation, just like a Passive House. For experts: This is the defining requirement; the maximum heat load should be lower than 10 W/m², allowing the fresh air to carry the heat load.

Passive Houses require superior design and components with respect to:

• Choosing the right house insulation
• Designing the house without thermal bridges
• Paying attention to air tightness
• Designing and constructing ventilation with heat recovery
• Designing and building comfort windows 
• Using innovative heating technology

Find additional information about the Passive House concept:
http://www.passivhaustagung.de/