Energy Efficiency & Sustainability
Rise of the Passive House
We are seeing , on a more regular basis , buildings being constructed to meet ‘ Passivhaus ’ design , but what is it and how does it affect the new build and home improvement markets ? Whilst it may be considered by some that this is just a concept for expensive new build , this couldn ’ t be further from the truth . The principles of the voluntary ‘ Passive House ’ designs are equally relevant to commercial construction and property refurbishment . Many architectural practices now have dedicated architects who are trained in the design philosophy by the UK ’ s Passivhaus Trust .
» SO WHAT IS PASSIVHAUS AND importantly , how is it going to affect our fenestration industry ?
A staggering 35 % of our total global energy consumption is used in buildings , significantly cutting this will drastically reduce our carbon emissions . A Passivhaus certified building is optimised for a decarbonised grid and offers living and working spaces for health and wellbeing . This high level of occupant comfort uses very little energy for heating and cooling . Insulation plays a major role but this is only one of the five principles of Passivhaus design . Whilst ‘ Passivhaus ’ is commonly considered as a German innovation , in fact , it was an American physicist , William Shurcliff who in 1982 published a book “ The Saunders-Shrewsbury House ,” in which he describes the concepts of “ super-insulation ” and passive solar as “ passive house .” In the late 1980s a passive house movement had emerged in North America , but , shortly after America lost its appetite for energy conservation , Germany picked up the reins . A German physicist Wolfgang Feist refined the passive house concept to further improve efficiency and proposed a passive house concept with an annual energy demand of just fifteen kilowatt-hours per square metre of floor area .
Phil Slinger – CAB CEO
32 MAY 2023 CLEARVIEW-UK . COM