What is a passive house?

When a house is constructed in a way that it’s energy efficient, comfortable, affordable, and ecological, then it is said to be a passive house.

It is a design that allows for a comfortable living temperature with minimal heating and cooling. It does this through insulation, ventilation, and appropriate door and window design. It is a construction concept originally developed in Germany. Now the name and design concept became famous throughout the world including in Australia.

It is a performance-based concept and not derived from particular materials used in the construction. It’s also considered a design standard and the house is certified as passive when it meets all the criteria included in it.

In Australia, a home can be considered a certified passive house through the Passive House Institute.

If you are looking to have a passive home and looking for the benefits you get, then the following points might convince you:

Maximum comfort

Imagine living in a home where you’d have to rely less on fans and air conditioners. It would decrease the power bills and you can enjoy as much natural air as possible. In a passive home, you can live with maximum comfort on both cold and hot days. As you receive proper ventilation throughout the home, there’s enough air circulation inside the home that lets you live without relying too much on artificial heating and cooling systems.

Sustainable living

A passive home uses less energy which means there will be enough energy resources for the next generations. So, when you are considering building a passive home, it means you are not only saving energy costs but also promoting sustainable living. As you rely less on heating and cooling systems, there won’t be harmful chemicals released into the air and damage the environment.

Save money in the long run

Are you afraid of investing your money in building a passive house? You don’t have to be. You will not only save a lot on energy costs but you will need only an affordable amount, to begin with the passive home. You don’t need to buy expensive heating and cooling systems and you can live comfortably in any room you want. With the increase of passive house concepts across the world, it’s not hard to find an architect who can design a passive home matching your needs and requirements.

Construct any kind of building

A passive home is not always about the construction of residential dwellings. You can also apply the concept to schools, administrative buildings, colleges, offices, etc. You can apply this concept to any build where you will be able to decrease energy costs. A passive home is a concept that you can apply to any building to get the benefits it gives in the long run.

A high-quality house

Passive homes are popular for their energy efficiency. They have a high level of insulation and an airtight design which makes them efficient. The insulation is in such a way that the whole house won’t be having any weak spots such as cold corners or places with excessive heat losses. It’s a principle that’s highly beneficial to passive houses as there will be no moisture build-up. It means that you will have a high-quality home where there will be minimal damage to the building.

How can you achieve a passive home?

The design principle of a passive home is that the inside air must be comfortable. You can achieve it by:

• Appropriate levels of thermal insulation
• The design principle that reduces thermal bridges
• Airtightness
• Windows and doors with the best insulation
• A ventilation system with heat recovery.

Conclusion

A passive home can benefit you greatly in terms of energy efficiency and cost savings. In order to construct one, you will have to find an architect who is fully knowledgeable about designing and constructing passive homes. Though they are first seen in European countries, the benefits of the design are spread to the whole world.