The passivhaus certification or seal is a certification of German origin that measures and classifies the level of passivity of a house or building.  Those buildings that have this certification will meet certain requirements at the level of air conditioning and energy consumption.

RENEWABLE ENERGIES IN PASSIVHAUS BUILDINGS

The implementation of renewable energies in Passivhouse buildings  is a basic aspect to improve their energy efficiency. To obtain this certificate, we must meet certain criteria based on passive architecture construction strategies and systems.  In this way we manage to reduce the need for heating or air conditioners to air condition the interior of the house and obtain greater comfort.

The design of these buildings is based on four aspects:

  1. Compactness: (relationship between the façade surface and the volume). When a building has little façade surface it will be more compact and therefore easier to control climatologically speaking.
  2. Orientation: a good orientation allows to take advantage of solar energy and protect the house from other atmospheric factors such as wind.
  3. Protection and reflectivity: these two factors are especially useful in summer, when it is more necessary to avoid the incidence of solar radiation through reflectants or elements that generate shadows, such as porches.

We can find three certification values:

  • Passivhaus Classic: Renewable primary energy demand ≤ 60 kWh/m²a
  • Passivhaus Plus: Renewable primary energy demand≤ 45 kWh/m²a, Renewable primary energy generation ≥ 60 kWh/m² (of land) at
  • Passivhaus Premium: Renewable primary energy demand ≤ 30 kWh/m²a, Renewable primary energy generation ≥ 120 kWh/m² (land) at

Finally, for a building to obtain the Passivhaus seal, it must meet the following requirements:

  1. Have excellent thermal insulation.
  2. Always use high-performance windows and doors.
  3. Avoid thermal bridges.
  4. Use mechanical ventilation with heat recovery.
  5. Ensure indoor air tightness.

As we can see, architecture is not far behind and takes a step to be more sustainable, efficient and ecological.