In this blog post, we will explore what Passive House Design is, why it's useful for the Australian property development industry, and the core principles that underpin this revolutionary concept in delivering better buildings. As property developers in Australia, we play a crucial role in shaping the landscape of our cities. In today's environmentally conscious world, and where buildings contribute nearly 40% of all CO2 emissions (28% from running a building and 11% embodied in the materials) it's imperative that we embrace sustainable practices to create a greener and more energy-efficient future. One such groundbreaking approach that's been slowly gaining momentum in Australia is Passive House Design; something that's been around in Europe for almost 30 years.
What is Passive House Design?
Passive House Design, also known as Passivhaus, is an internationally recognized building standard that prioritizes energy efficiency, occupant comfort, and sustainability. The primary objective is to construct buildings that drastically reduce the need for conventional heating and cooling systems while maintaining a comfortable indoor environment. This innovative approach is based on meticulous planning and design to optimize a building's performance, ensuring minimal energy consumption and a smaller carbon footprint.
Why is Passive House Design Important for Property Developers? Embracing Passive House Design offers a myriad of benefits for property developers, occupants, and the environment:
Energy Efficiency: Passive House buildings use up to 90% less energy for heating and cooling, leading to reduced utility costs and increased market value.
Sustainability and Green Credentials: Developers can showcase their commitment to environmental responsibility and contribute to meeting Australia's sustainable development goals. As the industry goes through the broader energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources, these credentials can also provide access to incentives such as government grants and special finance rates for projects.
Enhanced Marketability: Passive House-certified properties appeal to eco-conscious buyers and renters who seek comfortable and healthy living spaces as well as protection from rising energy costs and resilience in the face of extreme weather events.
Future-Proofing Investments: With rising energy costs and increasing environmental regulations, Passive House buildings are well-prepared for a sustainable future.
The Core Principles of Passive House Design: Passive House Design revolves around five core principles, each playing a vital role in achieving its energy efficiency goals:
Airtight Construction: By creating an airtight building envelope, uncontrolled air leakage is reduced, leading to better indoor air quality and lower energy demand. The average Australian Home is very leaky (15.4 ACH (air changes per hour) according to the CSIRO) meaning much of the hot or cool air being produced by your heater or air-conditioner is literally walking out the door at your expense! Passive House buildings require significantly less energy for heating and cooling, minimizing reliance on conventional HVAC systems.
Super Insulation: Thick and continuous insulation minimizes heat transfer, ensuring a stable indoor temperature throughout the year.
Energy Recovery Ventilation (ERV): Mechanical ventilation systems with ERVs recover heat from exhaust air, pre-conditioning incoming fresh air and further reducing energy consumption. It's also paramount to managing and reducing condensation and avoiding mould issues.
High-Performance Windows and Doors: Triple-glazed windows with insulated frames optimize natural light, prevent heat loss, and improve thermal comfort. When coupled with Passive solar design - that seeks to harness the sun's energy and minimise active heating and cooling through optimal building orientation and strategic placement of windows and shading elements - high performance glazing plays a big role in keeping a home comfortable all year round.
Thermal Bridge-Free Construction: Careful planning and design eliminates thermal bridges, such as non-insulated window frames, that allow energy to leak from the building causing energy losses and potential condensation issues.
Illustration of Passive House Design Principles
The above 5 principles are central to the passive house movement however it is also worthwhile making note of a few additional ones:
Building Orientation - If it is something you can control (often in urban in-fill projects its predetermined), orientation is one factor that can make a large contribution toward enabling a home to operate in an energy efficient manner. When choosing a site for your home or project, a North-to-rear orientation is the most advantageous. This allows the living areas, where households spend a lot of their time, to take advantage of all-day sunlight as it tracks from East to West, keeping these rooms warm, light and bright. With good design and shading, orientation can protect occupants from the wrath of the summer sun and welcome in the winter sun to warm the space during the cooler months; this is also known as Passive Solar Design (see image below). Avoid or minimise windows facing west or east and make sure they are well shaded for summer, and minimise south facing windows as these don't get any winter sun.
Energy efficient lighting and smart design that takes advantage of triple glazed windows and natural light will save you money on your ongoing energy bills. Where natural light can't be used installing efficient LED lighting is a clear next-best alternative.
Energy efficient appliances - When choosing fridges, televisions, washing machines, dishwashers and so on, choose energy efficient electric appliances with the highest energy star ratings that can be powered by renewable energy sources, such as rooftop solar. Even if you pay a little more for these appliances they will save you money over time.
Renewable energy sources - Power your home with energy from the sun or wind! By running your home from renewable energy sources, such as rooftop solar, you can move toward becoming completely self-sufficient and powering your home on nothing more than what nature provides for free!
Property investors and developers are in a unique position to help households make a step change in reducing their CO2 emissions and carbon footprint. By embracing Passive House Design principles in their projects developers can rise to the growing demand for more comfortable and energy conscious homes and lead the way towards a more sustainable future. Just observe consumers making more eco-conscious and sustainable choices when it comes to buying electric vehicles (EVs) over standard combustion engine vehicles. It seems like a foregone conclusion that buyers will start to weigh up these factors in purchasing homes as well.
Embracing Passive House principles pays off. Even if customers and homeowners aren't aiming to achieve Passive House certification (i.e. the required 0.6 ACH using the infamous blower door test), aligning with these principles will ensure remarkable energy efficiency and sustainability credentials that will stand out in the market when compared to the average 'leaky' Australia home. So, invest in energy-efficient designs, and watch your developments shine with higher yields, lower utility costs and a positive impact on the environment.
If you're considering doing a development - be it a single home, duplex or multiple townhouses and want to make it more sustainable and energy efficient - download our free article, 8 Simple Tips to Build an Energy Efficient House Using Passive House Design Principles.
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