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Specification of a passive house

One of the key features is the use of available energy; i.e. the basic principles are the minimising of heat loss and maximising of heat gain. To qualify for the passive house building standard, it is not enough merely to put together passive house-appropriate components; the whole is more than the sum of its parts. Because of the interaction of individual components, integrated planning is essential so that the completed building fulfills three following requirements:

Heating output requirement < 15 kWh/m²a

Primary energy requirement (heating/hot water/household appliances) < 120 kWh/m²a

Pressure test air change n50 < 0,6 h^-1, i.e. in a pressure differential of 50 Pascal, the air current must come to less than 60% per hourof the volume of the building .

Passive house windows- a dual function

Windows play an important role in passive houses in two ways; firstly, they can reduce heat loss despite their large areas of glazing and secondly, they allow the sunlight to produce additional heat through the glass.
With Internorm windows and heat-conserving glazing as installed in passive houses, it is possible to achieve Ug values of 0.58 W/m²K. These windows have two infra-red reflecting coatings and are filled with crypton or argon. This means that the surface temperature of the glass inside the room is comparable with the air temperature of the room itself. The amount of total energy-loss (g) with triple glazed Internorm windows is around 50%, depending on glazing and gas-filling. Where these window systems are installed in a south-facing position the heat gains even from December to February are higher than the heat losses.

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Specification of a passive house