No biomass, no turbines, no solar panels. Is Passivhaus the way to zero carbon?
Monday, 23 Feb 09
The German Passivhaus standard is winning admirers in the UK, many of whom argue that its simple approach to low-energy building is far more practical than the Code for Sustainable Homes
The mighty Germans are at it again. Their well-engineered, desirable cars kicked our lame duck motor industry into the long grass years ago and they’ve done the same with more prosaic items like washing machines and dishwashers. Now they are lining up another attractive export – the low-energy Passivhaus – and the signs suggest there is an eager market in the UK.
Passivhaus isn’t a ready-made product. It is a series of principles that are applied to building design. As you’d expect with a German export, it is solid and reliable. The Passivhaus standard has been around for 17 years, with 10-15,000 buildings completed according to its principles. This is a big draw as it makes it much easier to deliver low-energy buildings than grappling with the new technologies needed to meet the Code for Sustainable Homes.
Because of this, the whole industry is waking up to Passivhaus. The UK’s first Passivhaus housing development was announced by Gentoo Homes at the end of last year, while sustainability consultant Inbuilt is working with Sir Robert McAlpine on a Passivhaus school.
To view this article in full on the Building website click on the following link:
http://tinyurl.com/asy26t
