What is Passivhaus?

2020.03.24

Passivhaus is a certification system that measures the energy and comfort performance of your building design. It is a very stringent and rigorous standard that requires a deep commitment from the client, designer and builder in order to achieve the certification requirements. The primary metric of evaluation is energy consumption. The Passivhaus standard limits the total amount of energy consumption. For new construction, the total energy use intensity (EUI) is 120 kWh/m2/yr. However, more specifically the component of that total EUI that is used for heating, cooling and ventilation is limited to 15 kWh/m2/yr. This is a very high-performance target; especially for cold climates. Because the standard of energy usage is so strict, the design solutions tend to be very carefully considered and utilize energy in a highly optimized way for excellent comfort. The thermal performance of Passivhaus enclosure systems means that wall surfaces remain warm and drafts are eliminated. Windows provides excellent lighting but maintain a very comfortable interior temperature. The Passivhaus standard also controls building airtightness to a very high degree. This means no energy is lost through air leakage. In complement, this means energy recovery ventilation is mandatory and highly controlled which provides superior indoor air quality. Passivhaus projects are super comfortable and ultra-energy efficient.