Comfort In Passive Houses

Different temperatures in a house are caused by uneven heating and are exacerbated by poorly insulated and draughty houses.

If on the other hand the house has a constant temperature which rises and falls over a very tight margin the problem will not arise.

Most people find the temperature range of 20 to 21 degrees very pleasant.

This is the normal ambient temperature in a passive house.

For most people having a constant temperature throughout the house will feel very comfortable every day of the year. The comfort of the passive house is derived from the use of insulation air tightness mechanical ventilation and solar gain.

Insulation is used as a barrier to prevent heat escaping and to prevent incoming heat in the summer.

The air tightness of the house discussed in more detail elsewhere ensures heat gains are not lost through draughts and allows the Mechanical heat recovery system to function properly.

Heat recovery mechanical insulation is used to recover up to 95% of the heat from extracted air which reheats the incoming fresh air

Finally the solar gain allows elements within the house to heat during the day and to release that heat in the evening

See also Passive standard construction to look at heat losses in watts and KW

The solar gain in this case has no mechanical or electrical parts. It is simply the mass within the house. The use of solar gain is discussed elsewhere in this site but it involves the use of simple principles.

• Correct use of the glazing within the house i.e. orientation of the house.

• Use of building mass such as block wall internally

• Use of shading for the summer to compensate for overheating.

When the principles above are combined correctly the results are amazing.

The house will meet all its design principles and the use of the heat recovery fresh air intake system will mean that you have a healthy house.

In addition to the thermal comfort comes the added bonus of sound reduction.

With the high usage of insulation the sound reduction is very high allowing you to live in peace and quiet even in build up areas. Passive Homes Ltd offer free consultations so before you build contact us


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