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Building to the Passivhaus standard ensures houses are truly energy efficient, comfortable, affordable and ecological at the same time.

Passivhaus is the world’s leading standard in energy efficient construction. While other houses might employ a passive solar design or use alternative energy sources such as wind and solar power to minimise their environmental impact, Passive Houses are built with meticulous attention to detail. There rigorous design and construction methods are set according to principles developed by the Passivhaus Institute in Germany and they can be certified through an exacting quality assurance process.

Steps to Achieve
UK Passive House Standards

In a Passive House, the building itself and its mechanical systems are treated as one single, overall system. To help maintain the necessary balance in the system between hot and cold, and between stale air and fresh, architects and engineers use software to determine the projected energy usage of a home. This software helps to determine everything from the optimal size and location of windows and the recommended capacity for the ventilation system, to suggestions for minimizing construction costs without compromising quality or efficiency.

To achieve the Passivhaus Standard in the UK typically involves:

Passivhause design

ACCURATE DESIGN MODELLING USING THE PASSIVE HOUSE PLANNING PACKAGE (PHPP)

EcoVert Conversions

EXTREMELY
HIGH-PERFORMANCE WINDOWS WITH INSULATED FRAMES

EcoVert Ventilation

A MECHANICAL VENTILATION SYSTEM WITH HIGHLY EFFICIENT HEAT RECOVERY

EcoVert Passivhaus Air-Tight

‘THERMAL BRIDGE FREE’ CONSTRUCTION

EcoVert Extensions

AIRTIGHT BUILDING
FABRIC

Passive House Isolation

VERY HIGH LEVELS OF INSULATION

Technically only buildings that meet the Passive House Institute’s strict requirements get the passive house label. These Passivhaus Standards call for high quality, comfort and superior energy efficiency. While delivering greater levels of comfort, the Passive House Standard also protects the building structure.

Gain Passivhaus Certification

Space Heating Demand
This cannot exceed 15kWh annually OR 10W per square metre of usable living space.
Space Cooling Demand
This roughly matches the heat demand with an additional, climate-dependent allowance for dehumidification.
Primary Energy Demand
Should not to exceed 120kWh annually for all domestic applications (heating, cooling, hot water and domestic electricity) per square meter of usable living space.
Airtightness
A maximum of 0.6 air changes per hour at 50 Pascals pressure (as verified with an onsite pressure test in both pressurised and depressurised states).
Design Thermal Comfort
Thermal comfort must be met for all living areas year-round with not more than 10% of the hours in any given year over 25°C*.

Meet Passivhaus Standards & Gain Certification

Passivhaus certification provides a rigorous quality assurance process verified via independent testing. Certification is available for buildings, specific components, Designers/ Consultants & Tradespeople.

The Passivhaus Institute has developed a series of certification processes to ensure the quality of any official Passivhaus buildings and practitioners.
But don’t worry, the team at EcoVert are well-versed in the necessities of Passivhaus building, so why not give us a call?