Passive house really works

The passive house is developing across Europe. This is a home built to certain standards into a low energy house. Everything is designed to reduce energy needs, which is an investment for the planet as much as your budget.

Passive House: concept

A passive house is a house that combines modern comfort and environmental friendliness. It is a construct designed to retain heat from the environment (sun, lamps, appliances, living ...) by a very high insulation, sealing air and specialty materials. It has a mechanical ventilation double flow (VMC), which contributes to this energy-saving and allows for excellent air quality. The passive house is a construction-isolation, triple-glazed windows and thick walls.

The passive house standards

To be classified as passive house, the home must:

- Consume less than 15 kWh per square meter per year (average of 240 in France);

- Annual consumption of electricity shall not exceed 120 kWh / m².

The advantages of a low energy house

- A passive house uses 90% less energy than a conventional house. The extra heating is used only a few days a year. The heating bill does not exceed 20 euros a month on average;

- The house deteriorates very little with time and moisture problems are rare;

- It is a green house, an act committed for the environment by reducing CO2 emissions and limiting energy expenditure.

What You Should Know

- The price of building a passive house is 20% higher than a conventional home (10% in group housing). However, energy gains allow a return on investment in about 15 years;

- Build a low energy house requires very precise calculations and high tech. For a home truly "passive", it is highly advisable to hire a professional;

- At present there is no subsidy provided by the state to build a passive house.