Passivhaus
Passivhaus or 'Passive House' is an energy performance standard for dwellings, commercial, industrial and public buildings that can be adopted throughout the world.
It was developed in Germany in the early 1990s by Professors Bo Adamson and Wolfgang Feist. The first Passivhaus dwellings were constructed in Darmstadt in Germany in 1991. It is intended primarily for new buildings, although it can be applied to refurbishment projects, but this can be expensive.
Passivhaus suggest that, 'A Passivhaus is a building, for which thermal comfort can be achieved solely by post-heating or post-cooling of the fresh air mass, which is required to achieve sufficient indoor air quality conditions – without the need for additional recirculation of air.’ This means that a traditional heating or cooling system is no longer essential.
The Passivhaus standard can be achieved by measures including:
- Shading.
- Pre-cooling of the supply air.
- Night purging.
- Natural ventilation.
- Air-tightness.
- Mechanical ventilation heat recovery (MVHR).
- Insulation.
- Avoidance of thermal bridges.
- Passive solar gains.
- Exploitation of internal heat sources.
Whilst Passivhaus adopts the principles of passive design, it differs in its imposition of an overall limit on primary energy consumption. This limit includes; domestic hot water, lighting, projected appliance consumption, space heating, fans and pumps.
The primary energy demand target must be met in all cases, and either the specific heating demand target or the specific heating load target must be also met. In addition, there are limiting values for the performance of the building fabric, doors and glazing, ventilation systems, air tightness levels and thermal bridging. See Passivhaus Outline specification for details.
The energy balance of the proposed building must be verified using the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP).
Certification is available in the UK from a number of organisations approved to assess and issue the Passivhaus Certificate, the EnerPHit certificate (for retrofit projects) and PHI Low Energy Building Certificate. See The Passivhaus Institute.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Active House.
- Aktivplus.
- An Introduction to Passive House - review.
- Code for sustainable homes
- BREEAM.
- Fabric first.
- Flue insulation and air tightness requirements.
- Green deal.
- Home Quality Mark.
- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
- NHBC technical standards.
- Passive design.
- PHribbon tool calculates embodied carbon of designs.
- Saffron Acres, Leicester, the UK’S largest Passivhaus residential development.
- Sustainability.
- The building as climate modifier.
- Warming houses using free CO2.
- Wood and carbon.
- Wood and passivhaus.
- Zero carbon homes.
- Zero carbon non-domestic buildings.
[edit] External references
- Passivhaus organisation.
- Passivhaus Trust.
- Passipedia.
- Passive House Institute.
- Passivhaus Outline specification
Featured articles and news
The 5 elements of seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu and shitsuke.
Shading for housing, a design guide
A look back at embedding a new culture of shading.
The Architectural Technology Awards
The AT Awards 2025 are open for entries!
ECA Blueprint for Electrification
The 'mosaic of interconnected challenges' and how to deliver the UK’s Transition to Clean Power.
Grenfell Tower Principal Contractor Award notice
Tower repair and maintenance contractor announced as demolition contractor.
Passivhaus social homes benefit from heat pump service
Sixteen new homes designed and built to achieve Passivhaus constructed in Dumfries & Galloway.
CABE Publishes Results of 2025 Building Control Survey
Concern over lack of understanding of how roles have changed since the introduction of the BSA 2022.
British Architectural Sculpture 1851-1951
A rich heritage of decorative and figurative sculpture. Book review.
A programme to tackle the lack of diversity.
Independent Building Control review panel
Five members of the newly established, Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommended, panel appointed.
Welsh Recharging Electrical Skills Charter progresses
ECA progressing on the ‘asks’ of the Recharging Electrical Skills Charter at the Senedd in Wales.
A brief history from 1890s to 2020s.
CIOB and CORBON combine forces
To elevate professional standards in Nigeria’s construction industry.
Amendment to the GB Energy Bill welcomed by ECA
Move prevents nationally-owned energy company from investing in solar panels produced by modern slavery.
Gregor Harvie argues that AI is state-sanctioned theft of IP.
Experimental AI housing target help for councils
Experimental AI could help councils meet housing targets by digitising records.
BSRIA Occupant Wellbeing survey BOW
Occupant satisfaction and wellbeing tool inc. physical environment, indoor facilities, functionality and accessibility.