The PassivHaus Concept and European Residential Design. Chapter 1 of Green Building Trends: Europe
In my research for this book, I found many interesting innovations, both cultural and technical, in the European approach to green buildings.
In my research for this book, I found many interesting innovations, both cultural and technical, in the European approach to green buildings. Perhaps the most interesting and potentially most meaningful in terms of its impact on energy use and climate change is the approach taken in Central Europe to building design: the Passive House (PassivHaus in German).
For a moment, suppose you were assigned to design an energy-efficient home for a client in the United States or Canada. That appears easy enough. After all, you just add more insulation, upgrade the windows, maybe use some innovative technology such as structural insulated panels or insulated concrete forms, install a more efficient heating and hot water system, upgrade the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio of the air conditioner, and maybe even add a solar water heater, and you’re done. For the most part, you would save about 50 percent of the energy use of a conventional home. But now suppose your client wanted to save 90 percent, without sacrificing indoor air quality or reducing the number of windows. That would be a very difficult task, particularly without adding many solar panels for heating and hot water. Well, it turns out that the PassivHaus standard addresses exactly that 90 percent savings assignment.
This is an excerpt from Jerry Yudelson’s book, Green Building Trends: Europe
To read the entire chapter, click here to download the PDF version.
Click here to order this book at Island Press.
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