Passive House is a highly energy-efficient building standard designed to provide exceptional comfort, health, and sustainability. It focuses on maintaining a consistent indoor climate with minimal energy use. A certified Passive House must meet five key requirements:
  1. Superior Insulation: Passive Houses have high-quality insulation in the walls, roof, and floor, which helps to retain heat during winter and keep the building cool during summer. This reduces the need for artificial heating or cooling and ensures year-round comfort.
  2. Airtight Construction: The building envelope of a Passive House is sealed to prevent unwanted air leaks, to prevent changes to the indoor climate. A Passive House must meet strict airtightness standards, ensuring that any fresh air comes through a controlled ventilation system.
  3. High-Performance Windows: Passive Houses typically incorporate double if not triple glazed windows. These windows are carefully positioned to capture the sun’s warmth during winter while minimising heat gain during summer. This contributes to maintaining a stable indoor temperature.
  4. Thermal Bridge-Free Design: A thermal bridge occurs when heat escapes through parts of the building’s structure, like joins or steel. Passive House design eliminates these thermal bridges, ensuring consistent insulation and reducing heat loss, which helps maintain energy efficiency.
  5. Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR): A Passive House uses an advanced ventilation system that supplies fresh, filtered air while recovering heat from the outgoing air. This system improves indoor air quality, reduces humidity, and keeps the home at a comfortable temperature without losing energy.