Spending more time at home, forced by the COVID-19 pandemic, has opened the eyes of many residents in Spain who consequently want to improve the health, comfort and safety of their homes. One way to do this well, a change that will save money in the long run, is through "Passivhaus" or passive house.
The first question you may be asking is, what does passive house mean? In basic terms, passive house is a highly energy efficient building standard that also promotes energy efficiency, comfort, value for money and eco-friendliness. Established by the Passivhaus Institute in Germany, passive house isn't a specific property or a brand name, but is actually a construction concept: the property simply has to meet a series of criteria to achieve the passive house standard.
Therefore, the greater hermeticity of houses and the thermal and acoustic isolation or the ventilation requirements of properties that meet the passive house standard open a new horizon for architecture.
Is it possible to spend less money on energy and heating consumption in our houses now that we spend most of our time there? Confinement and teleworking for many workers have increased the bill for common household consumption. A good way to save money is to apply the highest standards of insulation to our homes, where the passive house standard is the maximum reference.
This is the case, not only due to good thermal and acoustic isolation, with a high quality of carpentry, with triple glazing windows, low transmittance and a correct installation, to avoid the formation of thermal bridges, but also because of the mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery.
"In general terms, this type of construction achieves, on the one hand, much healthier and more comfortable interior spaces in terms of temperature, humidity and concentrations of CO2 and other pathogens and pollutants, and, on the other hand, achieves energy savings of between 60% and 90%", says Sto, a manufacturer of thermal insulation systems for facades and interiors, as well as floor coverings.
The new energy efficiency standard, which includes the latest amendment to the CTE (Technical Building Code) comes closer to the demanding standards of airtightness, insulation and ventilation of the passive house standard.
"The new requirements included in the CTE, in force since the beginning of July, are perfectly complemented by many of the requirements of the passive house certificate, which makes this certificate easier to advance in Spain. Currently, this seal is still much stricter than the CTE and there are still great differences. Among them, the demands regarding thermal comfort in summer, airtightness, mechanical ventilation or thermal bridges", adds the German company which also has a base in Spain.
Of course, it improves the quality of air in indoor environments, now key to preventing COVID-19 contagion. The double-flow mechanical ventilation included in a building with this standard can help reduce the risk of contagion in closed spaces. "The reason lies in its ability to extract the stale air from the interior and, at the same time, filter the air supply coming from the outside, also eliminating contaminating elements. This ensures optimum indoor air quality all year round," the experts say.
Finally, they point out that a property built to the "Passivhaus" standard (known as "EnerPhit" in the case of a renovation) brings greater value to the property. According to the International Federation of Real Estate Professions (FIABCI), a passive house could be valued at 20% more than another ordinary house.