Passive House and its Services

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Abstract

The word “Passive house” is derived from Human ease. Engineers or Architectures with an objective of building green are going Passive. A passive house is airtight and the world’s highly recommended standard with energy-efficient insulation, multi-paned windows, and an HRV system. Human comfort is the priority of the Passive house. In this article, we will discuss the Passive house structure, its standards, and certification.

Introduction

A Passive House is a methodology that can be utilized by many architects, designers, and engineers to construct energy-efficient, high performances homes, and buildings. Passive buildings contain a set of principles, and standards used to achieve a severe level of energy-efficiency within a measurable comfort level.

Criteria

Passive House Standards

Passive House is characterized by a great thermal comfort with an energy-efficient system. The building is considered as the Passive house building on the basis of the following criteria.

• Space Heating Energy Demand

 Space Heating Energy Demand has a maximum limit of 15kWh of net living space.

• Space Cooling Energy Demand

 In active cooling temperatures, the requirement of Space Cooling Energy Demand must match from the above heat demand.

• Airtightness

 As proved with an onsite pressure examination for both pressurized and depressurized states, maximum Airtightness must be 6.0 air changes per hour at 50 Pascal pressure.

• Renewable Primary Energy Demand

The total energy consumption for all the domestic purposes such as heating, cooling, domestic electricity should not exceed from 5.57 kWh per square foot of floor area annually for Passive house Classic

• Thermal Comfort

 It should meet the requirements of both summer and winter, with a maximum of 10% of the hours over 25 °C in a specified year.

Principles of Passive House Construction

There are five basic elements necessary to take into consideration while constructing a Passive House.

• Adequate Ventilation Strategy.
• Passive house Multi-paned Windows.
• Thermal Bridge Reduced Design.
• Thermal Insulation.

The figure below will further demonstrate the above five elements of Passive house construction.

EnerPHit Standard

EnerPHit standard is the well-known Standard for the renovation of the existing buildings. It uses five basic components of Passive House. Passive House Standard cannot be achieved in the existing buildings. Thus, Passive House Institute (PHI) which is a self-governing research institute has developed EnerPHit to achieve Quality Approved Energy Retrofit along with Passive House Components’ Certification procedure for older buildings.

The table below will demonstrate the EnerPHit criteria for the building component method.

PHI Low Energy Building Standard

 With PHPP 9 Release

 Passive House Criteria has specified several useful guidelines and standards to construct high-level energy isolated, cost-effective, and human comfortable living environments. PHI Low Energy Standard is a new standard that has come into existence for PHI building criteria. The renewable PHI Low Energy Criteria has been released with the new PHPP 9 release. The new PHI Low Energy Criteria has less stringent requirements as compared to the Passive House. This new standard is especially for those buildings who are not entirely complying with Passive House criteria.

Architects and Engineers Services for Passive Houses

• Training
• Certified Passive House Consultant (CPHC) Training

Certified Passive House Consultant Training Program has been created by PHIUS, the CPHC specialized qualification, and the associated continuing education program in 2008. Students learn passive building principles, receive practical training in modeling using WUFI Passive learning tutorials, and learn to design and execute profitable, business, residential, and retrofit projects.

• Certified Builders Training

PHIUS created the certified Builders Training program. In this training program, Superinsulation, airtightness, energy recovery ventilation, Quality performance Window installation, and Passive House construction presents special challenges to builders. Those who clear the qualifying exam receive status as a PHIUS Certifies Builder.

• Software Training Program

This training program by PHIUS offers both fixed and much more granular dynamic modeling, and the software to connect Passive modeling with hygrothermal study and analysis, which is critical in many North American Climate regions.

• PHIUS+ Quality Assurance Training

The PHIUS+ Quality Assurance/Quality Control Professional Training is a two days course that focuses on single-family residential projects. The program prepared towards experienced RESNET and BPI professionals provides training in Passive building principles as well as a guide to on-site quality assurance.

• Certification

US Passive house institute (PHIUS) offers the following certifications.

• Project Certification

PHIUS+ combines a detailed Passive House confirmation protocol with a stringent Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) program performed on the destination by highly professional and skillful PHIUS+ Raters.

• Database Projects Certification Program

PHIUS Database certification program is growing rapidly. In PHIUS online-database of certified projects, you’ll find business and marketing buildings, single-family and multi-family apartment building projects.

• PHIUS Building system/Panel system Certification Program

Certified Building system/Panel system Certification Program has been developed by PHIUS to create verified data performance for opaque building apparatuses (such as doors, and windows) quickly accessible to Passive building practitioners.

• PHIUS Ventilation Product Certification Program

This certified program by PHIUS offers data performance required for Passive building energy modeling and provide identification to specifically acceptable units.

• WUFI Passive Tutorials

Passive House Institute US has prepared detailed WUFI Passive Tutorials. WUFI Passive is the industry standard for the evaluation and determination of Passive buildings.

Conclusion

By concluding this article, I hope that the concept of Passive house has become clear. Passive House is an integrated standard guaranteeing the peak level of comfort. A Passive House is a building, for which thermal comfort can be attained especially by space-heating or space-cooling energy demand. A Passive House concept allows for the construction of highly energy-efficient houses at a very reasonable cost. Proper training and understanding of Passive house principles are required for the professional Passive house builder.