PASSIVE HOUSE

CONTAINED:

I. Passive House – Definition

II. General framework

III. Passive House – Concept

IV. The architecture of "passive houses"

A. Description of operation
B. Passive house construction

V. Principles of the "passive house"

1. Condition of thermal energy requirement for heating

2. The condition of "conventional" energy consumption
3. Good thermal insulation and compact volume
4. Good orientation of the building
5. Good sealing
6. Heat recovery

VI. Features of "passive houses"

A. Thermal comfort
B. Integrated ventilation system

VII. Passive House Applications

VIII. Advantages of "passive houses"

 IX. The disadvantages of "passive houses"

X. The future of "passive houses"

XI. Current trends

XII. Own conclusions and observations

Bibliography

Passive House

"The low-energy home can be a solution to combat global warming."

I. Passive House – Definition

A house with zero heat transfer so that there is no heat loss may seem like just an
idea without practical application. However, such houses exist. They are known as
"passive houses".

Passive houses are those houses that provide a comfortable indoor climate both in summer
and winter, without the need for a conventional heating source. It is a house characterized by
tightness, with zero thermal transfer, which achieves and maintains the desired thermal
balance. Specialists claim that in the case of such a building, energy consumption is lower by
70-80% than in the case of a house built of wood or brick. [1]

Passive house does not mean a normal house with insulation. Such a house seeks to reduce
energy losses to minum. There are many books written on this subject, and such a project is
more of a challenge. The passive house is a very well insulated house, with three-leaf
windows on the glass and sun protection. For its heating, renewable sources are used, if
possible, i.e. solar installations, photovoltaics, heat pumps. All this, taken as a whole, must
cause it to consume about 10 times less energy than a house that is not thermally rehabilitated.
[2]
"Passive houses" belong to the category of "low energy buildings". The term "passive
house" originates from the fact that, due to its special construction, this building is less
sensitive in terms of thermal compliance to changes in weather parameters. The solar energy
incident on the exterior surface of the building, which enters the interior through various
transfer mechanisms, plus the energy generated by the tenants as well as through the operation
of electrical or other appliances, is normally sufficient to maintain a comfortable indoor
temperature throughout the cold season.

In conclusion, Passive House It is defined by two basic elements: a very well

insulated building envelope and no heating system. [3]

II. General framework

As a result of the energy crisis of the 70s, many European countries issued special
legislation on, among other things, thermal insulation of buildings. Germany is, for example,
one of the countries where this direction has developed best. Thus, the initial purpose of the
legislation in this country was to limit the loss of thermal energy to a maximum value of 180
kWh / m2 / year (referring here and further to m2 habitable area). This ceiling was lowered in
1995 to 100 kWh/m2/year. Recently, the adopted policy has changed, the focus shifting from
reducing heat loss through thermal insulation to saving energy, also taking into account not
only heat but also the running costs of the heating/air conditioning system. Standards have
been developed for the so-called "Low energy buildings". In the late '70s, such buildings
existed in pilot versions in Sweden, Denmark and Germany, with a maximum heat loss level
of 70 kWh/m2/year.[4]

III. Passive House – Concept

PASSIVE HOUSES are those houses that provide a comfortable indoor climate in
summer and winter, without the need for a conventional heating source. In order to be
possible, the annual requirement for heating the building must not exceed 15 kWh / (sqm *
year). The minimum requirement can be ensured by heating the air supplied by the ventilation
system - a system that is necessary in any case.

A European standard is called PASSIVE HOUSE because the passive energy of solar
radiation captured from the outside and then supplied as heat energy by some devices and
occupants of the house, are sufficient to keep the house at a comfortable indoor temperature in
the cold season. A component of the concept of PASSIVE HOUSES is that efficient
technologies are used to minimize energy consumption from other sources (especially -
electricity for household appliances). The objective is to keep a total combined consumption
of heat, hot water and electricity below 120 kWh/(sqm*year). [2]

IV. The architecture of "passive houses"

The architecture of passive houses is like that of an ordinary house. There are no
major restrictions, but you must take into account a form of the house as compact as possible,
as gathered as possible. The less "played" volumes we have, as we like to say, the smaller the
losses. The spaces must be compact - we mean the total volumetry of the house, the envelope
of the building - so that heat loss is as low as possible. The ideal shape is oval, because the
greatest heat loss in a house is on the corner, where the wind comes from both sides. [3]

A. Description of operation:

Some details on the operation of the ventilation and heating system may be useful (all
numerical values that follow are indicative).

Fresh air (which in winter can be -10°C, for example) is first sucked in from outside,
filtered and then fed into the underground heat exchanger. The soil temperature at a depth of 2
meters varies between 7 and 10°C even during the cold season. As a result, after leaving the
exchanger, the air can have a temperature of about 7°C. In the countercurrent heat
recuperator, more than 80% of the enthalpy of the tainted air flow leaving the building is
transferred to the incoming air flow. In this way, fresh air is heated to about 18°C.

The heater consists of a burner doubled by a heat exchanger powered by hot water.
The first component comes into operation only when hot water is not available. After leaving
the heater, fresh air has the desired temperature, usually around 40°C. The air is then
circulated through uninsulated ducts that pass through the interior of the chambers to the
discharge nozzles. Due to heat transfer by conduction and radiation on this route, air enters
rooms at temperatures between 20 and 22°C. The tainted air is extracted from the kitchen and
bathroom and constitutes in the recuperator a source of heat for fresh air. At the outlet of the
recuperator, the tainted air has a temperature of about 7°C and is cooled to about 1°C in a
small heat pump. The energy recovered here is sent to the thermal energy storage tank. The
other source of heat for this reservoir is the solar energy capture system. If neither of these
two sources is able to provide the necessary energy, the tank also has an electric heater or
using other "conventional" energy sources. [4]

IV.1

B. Passive house construction:

- On wooden structure, on frames and brick. But it is ideal to build it from polystyrene
thermal insulation formwork in which concrete is poured, and in this case you already have
uniformly thermally insulated walls, you do not have heat loss on the corner, because on the
corner the insulation is double and no thermal bridges are made, you can do anything, the
problem is that the envelope of the house is insulated with a minimum of 30 centimeters of
polystyrene. In the attic, a minimum of 40 centimeters are required, and under the house, a
minimum of 20 centimeters. Windows should be with three special rows of sheets of glass.

Architects say that such constructions are built from ordinary materials but are based on
complex calculations and thermal insulation. As such, energy transfer with the environment is
reduced, and the ambient temperature is around 20-22 degrees Celsius.

"Passive house does not mean a normal house with insulation. Such a house seeks to
reduce energy losses to minum. There are many books written on this subject, and such a
project is more of a challenge. All those who work must form a team, both the builders
themselves and those who deal with installations", said Cosmin Petrescu, construction
engineer. [1]
 V. Principles of the "passive house"

Main research on "passive houses" takes place at PassivHaus Institut din

Darmstadt. The result of the research carried out so far, which is currently the usual features
of a passive house are:

1. Condition of thermal energy requirement for heating:

In order for a building to be classified by the PassivHaus Institut in Darmstadt as a "passive

house", its heat requirement for heating the living space must be less than 15 kWh/m2/year
(this corresponds to the combustion of less than 1.5 l of petrol/m2/year). In this way, the
energy requirement for heating a passive house is about ten times lower than in the case of a
conventional house, designed according to the German standard of 1995 regarding the thermal
insulation of buildings.

2. "Conventional" energy consumption condition:

Another limit imposed on a passive house refers to the total consumption of "conventional"
energy obtained, directly or indirectly, from fossil fuels (which includes the energy needed to
heat the house, prepare hot water, illuminate, put electrical appliances into operation, etc.)
which must not exceed 120 kWh / m2 / year. If the project of a dwelling proves that these
two energy limits are not exceeded, German law grants important economic incentives to the
owner. The measured heat consumption of the first passive house in Germany (in Wiesbaden,
1992) was less than 13 kWh/m2/year.

3. Good thermal insulation and compact volume:

This principle is designed to reduce heat loss to the outside. The thickness of the thermal
insulation layer of the walls is of the order of 30-40 cm (this value is indicative and depends
on the climatic conditions of the location of the building and the insulating materials used).
All elements constituting the building envelope have convection heat transfer coefficient
values lower than 0.15 W / (m2K). Windows with three rows of glazing with low emissivity
are usually used, and thermal bridges in the walls and window joinery are reduced to a
minimum. The value of the convection heat transfer coefficient of the windows is less than
0.8 W / (m2K), although the solar transmittance of the glass is higher than 50%.
 4. Good orientation of the building:

The building must be oriented taking into account the apparent trajectory of the sun and other
aspects related to the microclimate. Passive houses have large vertical facades provided with
wide windows facing south, which favors the judicious use of solar radiation, avoiding
overheating in summer but allowing sunlight to enter the rooms in winter. The northern part
of the building has small windows for natural lighting of secondary rooms arranged in this
area of the cessa (such as the kitchen, annexes or entrance vestibule).

5. Good sealing:

A very good pneumatic insulation system, obtained by using foams (polyurethane or

otherwise) during construction. Air losses through cracks and gaps are thus reduced to hourly
values lower than 0.5 of the room volume, for an indoor air overpressure of 50 Pa. In order to
provide the air necessary for breathing, it is always necessary to have an integrated ventilation
system.

6. Heat recovery:

The thermal energy accompanying the exhausted stale air (which is always taken from the
kitchen and bathroom) is partially recovered with the help of heat recuperators that heat the
fresh air introduced into the building. Thus, up to 90% or more of the enthalpy contained in
the air extracted from rooms can be recovered. [2]

VI. Features of "passive houses"

A. Thermal comfort

The well-insulated walls, the lack of thermal radiators (static bodies) and the very good
thermal insulation of the windows make the temperature difference between the walls of any
room to be reduced, which creates a special thermal comfort.

B. Integrated ventilation system

The existence of a high-performance integrated mechanical heating, ventilation and air

conditioning system is essential to guarantee good indoor air quality. Although, in terms of
energy saving, air recirculation should be avoided, a certain amount of air must be brought
from outside to allow the residents to breathe. The ventilation system can also be used to
transport additional heat, possibly generated by a heater placed in the circuit.[ 3]

VI.1 Passive house heating system using renewable energy sources

VII. Applications of passive

houses - Construction of houses, villas, pensions, holiday homes. - Construction

of modern residential neighborhoods – fast, efficient and economical. -
Commercial projects, offices, shops, warehouses, industrial halls. - Completely
energy-independent homes with alternative, unconventional energy systems, solar
homes. - Durable buildings built in areas with frequent earthquakes, floods and
hurricanes.

VI.2 Sketch of a fully energy-independent passive house

VIII. Advantages of "passive houses"

 In a passive house, energy consumption is 70-80% lower than in the case of a wooden
or brick house.

Economic argument: In the field of passive house construction, it shows that they are
not much more expensive than a conventional house. Fast return on investment by reducing
heating costs in winter and cooling costs by 85%.

To these we should add other vital advances, such as:

- substantial reduction of carbon emissions,
- the exceptional comfort provided by the permanently fresh air in the house,
- lack of floors and cold walls in winter,
- lack of excess heat in summer,
- lack of dust generating allergies;
- very good stability to hurricanes, winds and strong storms; - very good
acoustic insulator; - accepts any type of interior and exterior finishes;
- the longevity of the construction is much longer higher than in classical systems;
- much higher durability compared to conventional building materials; - passive
houses protect the environment, conserve energy; - a finished wall resists fire between 0.5
and 1.5 hours;
- the system provides resistance to moisture and putrefaction;
- flood waters do not penetrate;
- the material absorbs no more than 3% moisture;
- the possibility of condensation in rooms is eliminated because the dew point is
moved 100% outside the building;
- the system has resistance to insects; colonies of insects or rodents do not develop,
inside structures, because these pests do not feed on polystyrene, or concrete.

Another undeniable advantage of building an energy-independent passive house is

quality of materials, lack of condensation and dampness, factors that extend the life of the
construction by several decades compared to a classic home. It is difficult to quantify these
factors, but it is obvious that they have an important impact on the lives of those who live in a
passive house.

The great advantage of the passive house is the reduction of maintenance costs. If in the case
of an ordinary house, the monthly average is about 400 euros per month, in the case of a
passive house, the expenses can be even less than 100 euros. The cost of the energy bill will
be 5 (five) to 10 (ten) times lower than a conventional house. [5]

IX. The disadvantages of "passive houses"

- The resistance to mechanical shocks of the exterior and interior surfaces of the walls is
lower than in classical brick systems, this can be compensated by appropriate finishes
(drywall on the inside and, possibly, plywood or precast concrete slabs on the outside).

- On the one hand, there are some additional costs (extra thermal insulation, insulated window
frames, triple glazing, special ventilation system and implementation of perfect sealing of the
house envelope), which are actually offset by the savings obtained by eliminating the heating
system.

- Building a passive house costs 100 euro/sqm more than a regular house

- If in the case of a normal house with thermal system, the thermal insulation is about 10
centimeters, in the case of a passive house, it is 4-5 times higher. [4]

X. The future of "passive houses"

It's the standard of the future. In 2015 it will be mandatory to build it in our country as
well. We need to understand that tomorrow will be worse with energy because of costs, and
we need to learn to think ecologically.

The first passive house in Romania belongs to the Crutescu family and is located
in Burluşi, Ciofrângeni commune, Arges county.

A novelty for Romania, passive houses have been a common variant in Western
countries for some time. They do not rise in just a few days, from prefabricated and other
alternative materials, and do not have a standardized preset architecture that can be moved
anytime and anywhere. According to architect Cristian Cocioba, executive director of the
Information Bank for Construction, Architecture and Urbanism, passive houses are built from
ordinary materials, but, through complex calculations and efficient thermal insulation, they
manage to eliminate energy transfer with the environment. Therefore, the house reaches a
predetermined thermal equilibrium inside, located on average between 18 and 22 degrees.
While a normal house can have energy losses, which occur through thermal bridges, breaches
in the thermal "resistance" of the house, which usually form at joints, in areas of pipe
penetration, a passive house behaves like a thermos. "Energy consumption is so low that we
can consider the option of alternative solar energy, provided by solar panels accessible today
both in price and availability," says the architect.

As the architects say, this concept has caught on very little in Romania and almost not
at all in the Moldavian area. "Currently, such houses are not built because they involve exits
or deviations from current norms in construction. Such a house, which conserves energy, is
based on very complex calculations and the structure is slightly different", said architect
Daniel Visan, head of the Iasi branch of the Romanian Order of Architects.

The European trend is one of the strong arguments for the average citizen, as well as
for builders and specialists in the field. It is good that Romania must comply with this trend.

In Europe there are thousands of passive houses, especially in Germany (over 3500),
Austria (over 1000), Switzerland and Sweden. Germans and Austrians build passive houses at
a cost of only 0-15% larger compared to a conventional house, depending on the complexity
of the home's design. [5]

XI. Current trends

At this moment, the main effort in terms of implementing renewable energy sources is
focused on improving technologies to lower their costs. In particular, we want to increase
equipment performance and reduce energy consumed in operation, but also to choose
judicious processes, depending on geographical conditions and habits of future users. [1]
 X11.1Example of passive house

XII. Own conclusions and observations

A passive house finds and ensures a healthy living environment in it, in the sense that
there are no temperature differences in the same space - as it is in a regular house, for
example, where you get cold from below and you have heat at the top of the room. There is a
homogeneous temperature in the passive house, extremely pleasant and comfortable and, at
the same time, constant fresh air, provided by a controlled ventilation system, which should
not be confused with air conditioning.

According to the presented material we can say that for a Passive house There is no
need for heating installation, but only a very good thermal insulation and an efficient
ventilation system with heat exchanger.

In my conception we can say that it is an advantage to build a passive house because,

although it costs more than a normal house, over time you take out your investment because
energy costs are much reduced, using solar panels, wind turbines, etc.; But on the other hand
it is also a disadvantage, because we have to take care of many aspects in the construction of a
passive house. Some inconveniences, in my opinion, would be:

1. From a constructive point of view: window positioning should be done to the

south, should be positioned on a slope or put a few meters into the ground, etc.
2. According to their position, location : passive houses must be built in settlements
with renewable energy resources used by that house; for example: for houses that
use wind energy, in areas with strong winds, for houses with hydraulic energy, in
areas with water, and for houses that use solar energy we must store energy to be
able to supply it during the night.

The passive house, being a well-insulated house, with walls 3-4 times thicker than a
normal house is, in my opinion, good for those who suffer from various allergies (draft, dust,
asthma, etc.) can easily keep the windows closed in spring or autumn, because the house is
permanently supplied with fresh filtered air.