Passivhaus in the Winter
It’s cold outside, but inside Passivhaus homes it is nice and warm. Winter tends to be an expensive time of the year as the heating is cranked up. However, the Passivhaus standard can remedy this.
With energy bills for a 3-bed house averaging out at <£150 per year, Passivhaus can save you a lot of money over the cold period. This would not be possible, however, without the attention to detail and precise design and construction. Passivhaus is considered the superior standard of construction that maximises heat retention.
Insulation: Passivhaus building’s walls and floors act as a heat sink with 400mm thick insulation incorporated in the floor slab to ensure this captured heat is retained. Ancon ‘Teplo BF’ carbon-fibre wall-ties were also used to hold the inner and outer leaves of the masonry together over a wide 300mm cavity span filled with insulation. These ties have an extremely low thermal conductivity, which effectively eliminates cold bridging.
Airtightness: Airtightness is one of the most important elements of a Passivhaus. A maximum of 0.6 air changes per hour is the requirement for the rigorous Passivhaus standard. Airtightness will keep you warm in the winter as it stops cold air from entering the building and prevents warm air from escaping.
MVHR: A Passive House is heated through the Minimum Heat Recovery and Ventilation System. The MVHR removes the stale air from the house, while transferring the heat from the outgaining air into the incoming fresh air.
Passivhaus homes also receive heat from the occasional sunshine in the winter through the windows, human and pet body heat and electrical appliances such as stoves, refrigerators, lighting, televisions and cooking appliances. In winter months, unheated Passivhaus rooms are almost as warm as heated ones which provides for very comfortable living all year round.