Passivhaus housing

The Passivhaus standard

This is the most demanding certificate on the market in terms of energy efficiency and comfort. Many European countries are taking this standard as a reference to define nearly Zero Energy Buildings (nZEB).

The future is here: nearly zero energy consumption

According to the 2010 European Directive on energy performance, all newly constructed buildings should have nearly zero energy consumption by the end of 2020. At LOBE, we are already demonstrating that this is not a utopia.

How to combine saving, sustainability and comfort?

A passive house has stable temperature all year round.
The secret is in the special insulation with triple glazed windows and airtight sealing throughout the house to prevent the loss of heat in winter or coolness in summer.
The benefits are felt at both private and environmental level since a house that does not consume is a house that does not pollute.

The aim is to build only extremely sustainable housing

With the experience and technical expertise that LOBE’s team has today and taking climate change and rising energy prices into account, what sense does it make to build inefficient buildings?

That is why it is now time to decide that all our constructions be made under the Passivhaus standard. The main objective is that for our constructions to be self-sufficient and have added value as they will require less energy.

WHAT IS
PASSIVHAUS?

It is a building in which thermal comfort is achieved by heating or cooling the airflow necessary to achieve optimal ventilation of indoor spaces.

8 reasons for choosing Passivhaus

In Spain, there exist very few buildings built to this standard and LOBE intends to be one of its main champions.

HIGH DEGREE OF THERMAL AND ACOUSTIC COMFORT INDOORS, in both the cold and warm season. Tolerated comfort range: between 20-25ºC.
EXCEPTIONAL AIR QUALITY, guaranteed 24 hours a day that adapts to the temperature in the house and uses filters to avoid allergic reactions.
HIGH QUALITY CONSTRUCTION that avoids thermal bridges, unwanted leaks, surface or interstitial condensation, etc. This reduces the risk of building pathologies resulting from the physical aspects of the construction.
VERSATILITY,
it can be used for any type, climate and construction system. Simple to implement.
REDUCTION IN UTILITY COSTS. No gas bill.
GURANTEED PERFORMANCE OVER TIME. Guarantee that the building will perform properly for many years with minimal needs for maintenance.
DOES NOT REQUIRE SPECIFIC ACTIONS by the user in order to ensure it works properly.
HIGH LEVELS OF USER SATISFACTION

HOW DOES PASSIVHAUS WORK?

It is based on the application of five principles which, in addition to providing significant benefits in terms of energy savings, represent improvements in construction quality.

EXCELLENT THERMAL INSULATION

Excellent insulation of the building envelope is beneficial both in winter and in summer. Outer walls, roof and floor must have low thermal transmittance rates.

Insulation in outer walls is built to a thickness of 12-14 cm, which is three times more than the one in recent constructions, and 18-20 cm for floors and the roof of the building, 1/3 as much again compared to other newly-constructed buildings.

PASSIVHAUS

TIGHTNESS TESTING

To reduce the risk of interstitial condensation

To reduce energy losses

To prevent the entry of external aggressive agents or contamination

The hermetic tightness of a building is measured by the Blower Door test. This test returns an n50 score that defines air-tightness according to UNE EN standard 13829:2003.

Arguments in favour of working on ensuring the air-tightness of building envelopes are on the increase.

REQUIREMENTS OF THE
PASSIVHAUS STANDARD

Power consumption for heating < 15kWh per metre per year or 10W/m²
Power consumption for cooling < 15kWh per metre per year + humidity depending on climate
Renewable Primary Energy consumption (RPE)
- PH CLASSIC < 60 kWh/m² year
- PH PLUS < 45 kWh/m² year
- PH PREMIUM < 30 kWh/m² year
Air-tightness of the envelope < 0,6h-1 50Pa
Overheating <= 10% (maximum 10% of the number of hours in the year with temperatures over 25°C

PASSIVHAUS CERTIFICATE

It is not mandatory to have Passivhaus certification of a building in order to achieve these high levels of performance but it means a quality control that LOBE intends to implement in its buildings. Passivhaus certification is carried out by an independent body and provides a guarantee for the customer and added value to the building.

The certifier’s audit makes sure all the parts of a project that influence the building’s energy balance are designed and built correctly to guarantee that the building performs to Passivhaus quality standards. The certificate is issued once construction of the building has been completed.

Come and see our Showroom

The homes of the future are already possible

You can see that for yourself at the Passivhaus Certified Space on Avenida Ibón de Plan in Saragossa (Spain). There you’ll get a feel of the thermal and acoustic comfort you will have in your home with minimal energy spending.