by rob@elementsofhome.com.au | Jun 27, 2023 | building, energy rating, passive house | 0 comments


A passive house is a building that is designed to require very little energy for heating and cooling. It does this by using a combination of high-performance insulation, airtight construction, and passive solar design. Passive houses typically require less than 10% of the energy of a conventional building, making them a very sustainable option.


Here are the five key principles of passive house design:


  • Airtightness: A passive house is very airtight, which helps to keep the heat in during the winter and the cool air in during the summer. The airtightness of a passive house is measured in air changes per hour (ACH). A typical house has an ACH of 5-10, while a passive house has an ACH of 0.6 or less.
  • Thermal insulation: A passive house is well-insulated, which helps to prevent heat loss. The insulation is typically placed in the walls, roof, and floors. The amount of insulation required for a passive house is much greater than what is required for a conventional building.
  • Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery: A passive house uses a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery to provide fresh air and to remove stale air. The heat recovery system captures the heat from the stale air and uses it to warm the fresh air. This helps to reduce the amount of energy required for heating and cooling.
  • High-performance windows: The windows in a passive house are very high-performance, which helps to prevent heat loss and gain. The windows are typically triple-glazed and have low-emissivity coatings.
  • Thermal bridge free construction: A passive house is built to minimize thermal bridges. Thermal bridges are areas where heat can easily flow through a building, such as around windows and doors. Thermal bridges can significantly reduce the energy efficiency of a building.


Passive houses offer a number of benefits, including:


  • Significant energy savings: Passive houses require very little energy for heating and cooling, which can save homeowners a significant amount of money on their energy bills.
  • Improved indoor air quality: Passive houses have very good indoor air quality, which can help to improve the health of the occupants.
  • Increased comfort: Passive houses are very comfortable to live in, even in extreme weather conditions.
  • Sustainability: Passive houses are a very sustainable option, as they use very little energy.


Passive houses are becoming increasingly popular, as people become more interested in sustainability and energy efficiency.

A passive house is much easier to achieve if building new as making an existing older home air tight is hard to do.