Passivhaus design in the UK
Growing support
The Passivhaus approach is beginning to get
some heavyweight support. On January 31 2008 the European Parliament
passed a resolution in which it called on the Commission “…to propose a
binding requirement that all new buildings needing to be heated and/or
cooled be constructed to passive house or equivalent non-residential
standards from 2011 onwards…”. In Austria 20% of new homes are now
built to Passivhaus standard. The International Passivhaus Conference
2008 attracted over 1000 delegates from many countries and all
continents including, for the first time, a reasonable contingent from
the UK.
A growing number of Passivhaus certified or compatible
products are now available in the UK, including Green Building Store’s
own range,
which are essential to facilitate the rapid uptake of Passivhaus design
in the UK. As well as expansion of Passivhaus products, there is an
urgent need for training in Passivhaus design and construction.
Although the principles of Passivhaus design are relatively easy, it
requires meticulous attention to detail and exacting design and
construction on all levels, particularly for achieving high levels of
airtightness. Fortunately, the AECB’s CarbonLite Programme
(www.carbonlite.org.uk) aims to bridge this gap and offers specifiers
and contractors training in all aspects of Passivhaus design – from
building physics to using PHPP (Passivhaus Planning Package) software. Green Building
Store is a member of the AECB (sustainable building association) and
actively supports its promotion of Passivhaus design standards through
the AECB CarbonLite Programme. www.carbonlite.org.uk