Abstract
Passivhaus or Passive House buildings are low-energy buildings in which the design is driven by quality and comfort, hence achieving acceptable levels of comfort through post-heating or post-cooling of fresh air. Additionally, Passivhaus building design follows the Passivhaus design criteria, as described in the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP). This article aims to introduce the Passivhaus background, development, and basic design principles. Finally, it also presents a brief description of the performance of Passivhaus buildings.
Highlights
Depending on the indoor air temperature, the surface temperature of walls or windows, and air moisture content, thermal bridges in Passivhaus buildings could cause condensation and become a source of unquantified thermal losses, which could be as high as 50% of the heat transmission [14]
Window sizing is a critical concern for design, as Passivhaus dwellings tend to have small windows to reduce heat loss and solar gains reducing the contact with the exterior
The results showed that the inconsistencies between the heating loads simulated with the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP)
Summary
The Passivhaus method evolved from Swedish super-insulated homes and passive solar architecture, which seek to minimise space heating and to improve the thermal transmittance (U-values) of the building envelope (building fabrics, windows, and doors). The Passivhaus design and calculations are set to provide the highest level of thermal comfort only by air heating. In order to do this, outdoor airflow of 5–10 L/s per person (~0.3–0.6 air changes per hour or equivalent to 18–36 m3 /h per person) is recommended [9] Such levels of ventilation should guarantee that CO2 peak levels are not higher than 1500 ppm, as stated in the German standard (DIN1946).
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