The Passive House – sustainable, affordable, comfortable, versatile

No matter the climate or geographical region, Passive Houses stay at a comfortable temperature year round with minimal energy inputs. Such buildings make efficient use of the sun and heat recovery so that conventional heating systems are rendered unnecessary throughout even the coldest of winters. During the summer, Passive Houses make use of passive cooling techniques such as strategic shading to keep comfortably cool. Either way, a Passive House’s high quality insulation keeps the temperature comfortable, just where it is needed.

A Passive House requires as little as 10% of the energy used by typical central European buildings – meaning an energy savings of up to 90%! In terms of heating oil, Passive Houses use less than 1.5 litres per square meter. Vast savings have also been demonstrated in warm climates where buildings typically require active cooling throughout the summer. While Passive House buildings are held up to stringent quality criteria, the concept itself is very flexible and can be adapted to a variety of building uses and almost any building style. As the Passive House concept is based on physical principles, each building can and should be adapted to its particular climate.