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Passivhaus first for WRHA – but what is it?

Warwickshire Rural Housing Association (WRHA) is developing the first ever Passivhaus affordable homes in the county.  But what does this mean?

Developed in Germany in the early 1990s, Passivhaus, meaning ‘passive house’, focuses on creating a building which is as energy efficient as possible to reduce its ecological footprint.

Passivhaus is not an addition to architectural design, but a whole, fully integrated, design process.  The aim is to achieve a 70 per cent reduction in the amount of energy required for space heating and cooling, while also creating excellent indoor air quality.

Innovative components, such as highly insulated windows and high-efficiency ventilation systems, are used in Passivhaus buildings and some techniques and technologies have been specifically developed for the Passivhaus standard.

To achieve the rigorous standard, WRHA’s development which is currently underway in Wootton Wawen, must meet certain specifications in terms of energy efficiency.  Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) software is being used to ensure the requirements are adhered to in every aspect of the build.

There are now more than 25,000 Passivhaus buildings across Europe, mainly in Germany and Austria, and WRHA is proud to be bringing the first Passivhaus affordable homes to Warwickshire.