Is passivhaus Worth It?
QWe are looking to build a forever home and want it to be as energy efficient as possible. We’ve heard a lot of hype surrounding Passivhaus, and Passivhaus certification, but is it really worth the hassle? Is it the best option or are there alternative solutions to achieve an energyefficient home?
ATIM PULLEN SAYS:
Passivhaus is a building standard that takes a ‘fabric-first’ approach to energy efficiency. It uses the fabric of the building to ensure the house uses as little energy as possible for space heating, but also sets standards for total energy consumption to include the likes of hot water, lighting and power. There are those that believe it is the right way to go, and others that believe this standard for space heating was designed for harsher climate conditions than we experience in the UK.
Passivhaus is a precise standard setting out rules for U values, airtightness and energy consumption, and achieving that standard has a cost. Most importantly, if you
want a Passivhaus certificate to prove you have achieved that standard then that will add considerably to the cost.
Step away from the certification and the extra cost is likely to be up to 15% more than meeting Building Regulations — varying with the size and build quality of the house. The big cost elements for Passivhaus are windows and doors and achieving the required airtightness.
Back off from that to standards that might be considered more applicable to the UK climate and around 50% of that extra cost might be saved.
There are a couple of alternative standards but none that offer any particular advantage over Passivhaus. It is, without question, worthwhile building an energy-efficient home, in both financial and comfort terms. The real alternative is to design your house taking a fabric-first approach with insulation, glazing and airtightness levels appropriate to the location you are building in.