‘Passivhaus’ is a modern building performance standard which exceeds the expectations of present-day building regulations.

 

What is so Special about Passivhaus?

 

The interest in Passivhaus designs are growing since these low-energy buildings are able to maintain comfortable temperatures without the expense of an oil/gas boiler.

Passivhaus’ are meticulously designed to ensure no energy/heat is wasted/lost and as a result, these homes are built with thick insulation; I am talking insulation overload.  Typically these buildings have insulation with an average depth of 300mm and builders can install multiple layers of insulation. Overall, the exterior wall can achieve a U-value of less than 0.15.

Windows are often triple glazed with insulative frames to reduce heat loss and as a result of these designs, the buildings are incredibly air tight!

People therefore think that if a building is so airtight the air inside must be a bit…off? However, to combat ‘stale’ air, Passivhaus’ are built with efficient ventilation systems and often utilise air source heat pumps to regulate the indoor temperature. 

Another important factor is the location of the windows. Passivhaus designs always have south facing windows –  this reduces the need for heating as the building utilises the sun’s natural heat radiation to help warm the property!

 

What’s their Energy Consumption?

 

The Passivhaus energy target is 15kWh/m2/yr (15 kiloWatt hours per metre squared per year) which means if your home is 100m2 (for example) you would require 1,500kWh of energy for the year!

In fact, the Passivhaus energy target is less than that of a ‘zero-carbon’ house which is around 46kWh/m2/yr for a detached home.  Therefore, to achieve ‘Passivhaus’ status, your home has to be incredibly energy efficient.

 

About Huub

 

Huub is a Dorset based, British company that constructs modular, solar powered garden buildings. We may not build Passivhaus’, but we take energy savings and environmental sustainability seriously.

All our buildings are self-powered by solar PV which is installed on the roof.  Our panels can provide between 3,000 – 5,000 kWh of electricity (depending on the array size) which is enough to supply up to 90% of your home’s electricity needs.

We use premium eco materials which are not only more environmentally sustainable options but are also great for acoustic management and insulation.  These materials include:

• Aluminium fascias, doors and windows (our aluminium is made from up to 60% recycled materials!
• Sustainable siberian larch cladding
• Forbo recycled/eco flooring
• Woodfibre insulation: Highly insulation and great for acoustics
• Concrete not required for footings
• You can also choose to fit triple or double glazed windows!

(All our wood comes from FSC approved sources)

We are proud to say that our EPC rating on our Type 31 (image below) is A** and on all our builds, you can expect to save around 3 tonnes of CO2 per year.

For more information about Huub visit our website: https://www.huub.house/

Email us at: sales@huub.space 

Or phone us on:01305 250429

 

Image Credit: Das Haus