East Suffolk Council

What is Passivhaus?

Passivhaus is a quality assured standard for the design and construction of comfortable buildings that are highly energy efficient. A Passivhaus building aims to reduce the need to heat the building by being effectively sealed against the elements.

Key features

The features of a Passivhaus building will vary however below are some common features:

• Greater insulation than typical UK properties
• Triple glazing, with insulated frames
• Impressive airtightness levels (around 20x more than a standard build)
• Mechanical ventilation, with heat recovery system attached.
• Minimal thermal bridging
• Optimisation of passive solar gain
• Low heating demand

Benefits of Passivhaus

The benefits of a Passivhaus building will vary however below are some common features:

• Lower energy usage and costs
• The dry air eliminates the chance of mould & damp, condensation on the inside of windows.
• The dry air helps dry clothes quickly when hung inside.
• The air quality is cleaner and healthier.
• Warm, snug rooms at a constant temperature without any draughts or cold spots in winter
• Cooler rooms in summer
• Low maintenance costs as there is no need for complicated heating or cooling with hi-tech controls.
• Triple glazed windows are excellent at keeping noise out.