A passive house is a house that consumes little energy to remain comfortable all year long. Its structure maximizes solar radiation, which heats objects, floors, walls, thus reducing heating needs in winter.
It’s his orientationhis structurehis thermal insulation and his sealing allowing you to considerably reduce your heating needs.
There are different types of so-called “passive” houses and the concept is evolving with human knowledge, fueled by experimentation and research.
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Passive house definition
Passive houses are the expression of the German genius called Darmstadt-Kranichstein who developed the principles of an autonomous house using very little electrical energy for heating. It is a house that recycles solar energy to reuse it, diffusing a pleasant ambient temperature throughout the year thanks to specific and sustainable construction techniques. This construction technique places special emphasis on thermal insulation, ventilation and insulation.
Therefore, the power consumption for heater is overpowered or even lower. There is no longer any question of using or depending on electrical energy to keep your home warm. The architecture of a passive house is made in such a way that it facilitates the recycling of Solar energy thanks to efficient ventilation. It is therefore thanks to this dual-flow ventilation system that it makes it possible to recover the heat from the extracted air to inject it into the intake air flow.
Characteristics of the low energy house
There are elements on which we base ourselves to recognize a so-called “low consumption” house. You can see some special points that help to differentiate the standard building low energy building (BBC). The passive house concept is characterized here by energy autonomy, high-performance ventilation, energy savings, etc., including fairly original home automation.
In addition, passive or low-energy houses are distinguished from conventional habitats by the techniques used for their construction. The characteristics of BBCs are not far from those of passive habitats, also known for their low energy consumption.
energy savings
A low-energy house must be able to consume less than 50 kWh per m 2 per year. This energy consumption takes into account all the primary energy expenditure of a dwelling (heating, lighting, air conditioning, etc. including the production of hot water). Here, energy saving does not only refer to electrical energy, it also refers to other energy sources such as gas. In the case of tertiary buildings, this requirement is based on the height of said building.
building insulation
Particular emphasis is placed on the insulation of BBC housing. The thermal insulation system is effective and ensures excellent ventilation of the concession. From the windows to the walls and the roof, everything is brought together to ensure a better seal.
The house thus reduces air leaks, which must in no case exceed 0.6 m 3 /m 2 per hour in the context of an individual dwelling or 1 m 3 /m 2 per hour in the context of a condominium. As with passive housing, the ventilation or air circulation is homogeneous and the double flow CMV is a perfect example with 30 cm of insulation which reinforces the walls accompanied by triple-glazed windows.
solar energy input
Sunlight, as well as the heat it provides, are valued in a house with reduced consumption. This heat is reused to limit energy consumption, in particular for heating and much more. The location of the house is therefore essential in this case to make the most of solar radiation throughout the year.
If in a passive house the sun is a central point, it is nevertheless at the origin of the interior heating, a heat source which is added to the existing one (inhabitant, household appliances, etc.) hence the low consumption of the heating of these houses (less than 15 kWh/m 2 per year).