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Introduction to Passivhaus and Certification

Kym MeadPassivhaus Trust

30/05/2014

Kym MeadAssociate Director, Passivhaus Trust

May 2014

Passivhaus Trust 5 Baldwin Terrace, London N1 7RU Tel: 0207 704 3502Email: info@passivhaustrust.org.uk Web: www.passivhaustrust.org.uk

Passivhaus Introduction

1. The Passivhaus Trust

2. What is Passivhaus?

3. Passivhaus uptake in the UK

4. Why Passivhaus?

5. Passivhaus Certification

Passivhaus

• Founded in 2010 by the AECB to promote UK uptake of Passivhaus

• Non profit organisation with 250+ Members

• Partnering agreements with Strathclyde University and BRE

• Provides research on technical issues

• Working Groups

• Technical Panel

• UK Affiliate of iPHA

UK Passivhaus Trust

UK Passivhaus TrustGovernance Structure

1. The Passivhaus Trust

2. What is Passivhaus?

3. Passivhaus uptake in the UK

4. Why Passivhaus?

5. Passivhaus Certification

Passivhaus

Underhill – Seymour-Smith Architects.

PassivhausWhat is it?

… Passivhaus is the leading international design standard for low energy, comfortable, high quality, affordable buildings.

Passivhaus - Origins

“I was working as a physicist. I read that the construction industry had experimented with adding insulation to new buildings and that energy consumption had failed to reduce.

This offended me – it was counter to the basic laws of physics. I knew that they must be doing something wrong. So I made it my mission to find out what, and to establish what was needed to do it right”

- Wolfgang Feist

•Primarily a low-energy performance standard for buildings

but also addresses

•Comfort

•Indoor air quality

PassivhausWhat is it?… in simple terms

•Super- insulated

•minimise thermal bridges

•Very low air-leakage

•Mechanically ventilated (with heat recovery)

•Passive solar with solar shading

PassivhausWhat is it?… in simple terms

PassivhausWhat is it?… Houses, apartments …

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Nestwerk residential building; photograph: Reiter & Rentzsch Architects.

Hanssen-Höppener Passive House; photographs: Rongen Architekten

PassivhausWhat is it?… Schools, Kindergarten, Offices …

Riedberg Passive House School, Frankfurt (Architeckten 4a)

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Lengdorf nursery school, Germany (AB Vallentin)

Canolfan Hyddgen in Machynlleth, WalesJPW Construction

RefurbishmentThe Passivhaus standard is not confined to new dwellings

“Quality-Approved Energy Retrofit with Passive House Components”

The goal was to create a standard for an economically and ecologically optimal energy retrofit, for old buildings that cannot achieve Passive House Standard with reasonable effort. (PHI)

Lena Gardens Grove Cottage

•Space heat demand of < 15 kWh/m2.yr (25kWh/m2.yr for retrofit)- How much energy is needed to heat the building

•Pressure test result< 0.6 ach @ 50 Pa (<1 ach for retrofit)- How much air leaks through the fabric of the building

•Primary energy < 120 kWh/m2.yr- How much energy is needed to power all of the activities within the building (heating, hot water, lighting, cooking, appliances, active cooling)

•Frequency of overheating in summer < 10%How many times the temperature within the building exceeds 25C

PassivhausWhat does it mean?… Design and certification criteria

Passivhausalongside other UK standards

Sustainable Construction

BREEAM CSH

Residential and non-domestic

PHPP

Non-domestic &Multi-residential Residential

SBEM SAP

Energy performance and comfort

standard

Passivhaus

Environmental Assessment Method

1. The Passivhaus Trust

2. What is Passivhaus?

3. Passivhaus uptake in the UK

4. Why Passivhaus?

5. Passivhaus Certification

Passivhaus

Around 30,000 Passivhaus projects have been completed world-wide, mostly in Germany and Austria.

The Passivhaus Standard is now the leading international low-energy standard.

The Passivhaus is a building concept that can be adopted by anyone! 

Weber pre-fabricated timber frame Passivhaus, Germany (photograph KP ArCreation)

EU Passivhaus History

Images: Passihaus Institut, JPW Construction, Green Building Company, Bere architects Simmonds.Mills

1991

1996

2010

UK 200

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Passivhaus in the UK- We started quite late

The First Certified Passivhaus Domestic Project in the UK

Y-Foel, Machynlleth, WalesJPW Construction

Completed: April 2009

Certification: April 2009

The First Certified Passivhaus Non-domestic Project in the UK

Canolfan Hyddgen, Machynlleth, WalesJPW Construction

Completed: Jan 2009

Certification: July 2009

The First Certified Passivhaus Domestic Project in England

Underhill House, Moreton-in-MarshHelen Seymour-Smith Architects

Completed: August 2010

Certification: January 2010

The First Certified Education Building in the United Kingdom

Hadlow College, KentEurobuild

Completed: February 2010

Certification: March 2010

The First Certified Community Centre in the United Kingdom

Centre for Disability Studies, EssexSimmonds Mills Architects

Completed: February 2010

Certification: April 2010

The First Certified Cavity-Wall Passivhaus in the UK

Denby Dale, West YorkshireGreen Building Store

Completed: May 2010

Certification: April 2010

The First Zero-Carbon/ Code 6 Passivhaus in the UK

Larch House, Ebbw Vale, Walesbere:architects

Completed: July 2010

Certification: ?? 2010

UK Passivhaus 2010

Top: (Left to right) Underhill House, Centre for Disability Studies Essex, Hadlow College

Bottom: (Left to right) Lime House, Larch House, Denby Dale

18 developments completed and certified

UK Passivhaus July 2011

Key:Blue pins - certifiedGreen pins – planned or under construction

UK Passivhaus 2011

Top: (Left to right) Montgomery School, Oakmeadow School, Bushbury Hill School, Sampson Close

Middle: (Left to right) Interserve Office, Dormont Estate, Viking House, Wimbish

Bottom: (Left to right) Cae Gleision, Totnes Retrofit, Mayville Community Centre, Knight’s Place

We now have about 100 units completed or about to be completed

 

UK Passivhaus July 2012

Key:Blue pins - certified

Green pins – planned or under construction

Key:Blue pins - certifiedGreen pins – planned / under construction

In the UK:

• 50 Certified Projects completed, more underway

• About 150 dwellings, 6 sites of 15-25 units

• First big housing projects underway for 40-60 units

• And 15 certified non-domestic buildings

 

UK Passivhaus March 2013

In the UK:

• >250 certified buildings completed

• >150 certified dwellings on sites of >10 units

• >100 sites either completed or underway

• almost 1000 units either completed or underway, including one site of 400 homes 

UK Passivhaus March 2014

1. The Passivhaus Trust

2. What is Passivhaus?

3. Passivhaus uptake in the UK

4. Why Passivhaus?

5. Passivhaus Certification

Passivhaus

1. Better than requirements for Part L 2013

2. Provides a quality assured process as proposed under Part L 2013 compliance requirements

3. Helps you manage risks through an established and certified supply chain

4. Lets you give certainty to clients and/or purchasers

Passivhaus benefitsMeet forthcoming Part L requirements

PH measured performance UK• Canolfan Hyddgen monitored data

– 80 kWh/m²/yr primary energy demand

– 14.8 kWh/m²/yr heating demand (£130/yr gas bill)

– temperatures never below 20°C or over 26°C

– achieved for £1784/m²

• Y Foel monitored data

– 105 kWh/m²/yr primary energy demand

– 14.97 kWh/m²/yr heating demand

Comfort & health

Comfortable - in both winter and summer

“From the very first day we have felt comfortable in the house, as if wearing a good jacket which is the just the right size and comfortable.”Wilma Mohr, Passive House resident in

Darmstadt since 1991

The Hanssen-Höppener Passive House (Rongen Architekten)

PHI image above from Passipedia

Good indoor air qualityComfort and health: consistent air quality

Construction Methods:

Timber construction

Solid masonary, external

insulation

Mixed construction:concrete &

timber cladding

Solidmonolithic

Insulated concrete formwork

Underhill House: Seymour-Smith Architects

Plummerswood, GAIA Architects

Why Passivhaus?...why not!

• Meets part L requirements• Improved comfort and IAQ• Delivers as designed• Any construction type• Can be achieve with both high/modest budgets

1. The Passivhaus Trust

2. What is Passivhaus?

3. Passivhaus uptake in the UK

4. Why Passivhaus?

5. Passivhaus Certification

Passivhaus

Passivhaus qualityQuality assured process with Certification for:

Buildings - Through UK based certifiers

Products / Components- Through Passive House Institute- Is a demonstration of performance but not

required (except for MVHR systems)

Designers / Consultants- Through CEPH courses - List of CEPH designers / consultants on the

PH Trust website

Tradesmen / Installers- Through Certified Tradesman courses

Passivhaus Certification

Thank you

For more informationwww.passivhaustrust.org.uk

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New build Passivhaus schemes in Camden

Andrew McDermottCamden Borough Council

30/05/2014

New Build Passivhaus in Camden

Andrew McDermott, Regeneration and Development Team Leader, L.B. Camden

Council housing in Camden• Diverse characteristics – stretches

north from Covent Garden To Hampstead & west from King’s Cross to Kilburn

• 34,000 Council owned properties - 9,000 leasehold

• Very high land values – average flat price is >£700k, terraced houses £>1.5m

• Pockets of deprivation - 44% of LSOAs remain in the bottom 30%

• Provision gap for middle income groups

Why is Camden developing?

• Need to invest in new and existing housing identified

• Local politics very ‘pro’ council as landlord

• Can create high levels of council rented housing – around 50% of new developments’ GIA

• Retains land in Council ownership• Much lower transaction costs

Development constraints

• Most sites require demolition and greatly increased density to be viable

• Complex urban environments – overlooking, sunlight and daylight, need to re-provide amenities and employment on many sites

• Challenging planning policy from both Camden and GLA –on space, amenity and sustainability

• Community politics can sometimes be difficult to manage

Alexandra Road Estate, Camden Architects 1980

Sustainability challenges

• Dense sites with few opportunities for renewables

• Priority to create ‘lean’ buildings, but further emphasis on linking to wider energy networks and CHP – can be costly to build and maintain

• Fuel prices rising much faster than incomes

Camden’s approach

• Master-planning and design to a high standard

• Architects appointed to individual schemes in competition

• Architects encouraged to innovate• Building design well advanced before

tendering• Developments pitched at private

markets• Tenanted dwellings are similar standard

to private• Emphasis on long-term build quality

and maintenance

Why Passivhaus?• Camden Planning policy promotes passive design principles – fabric

first, low energy use• Commitment to tackling fuel poverty• Benefits for residents’ health and comfort• Aim to reduce maintenance requirements

- low heat requirements so less plant on major sites- careful detailing and building gives better performance

with fewer remedial repairs• Lack of opportunities for significant renewables to achieve carbon offset• Important for authority to lead the way

Business Case(?)

• Additional costs difficult to assess in a rising market with limited examples

• Cost drivers are:• material & labour costs• design costs• Contractor’s risk premium• Loss of saleable area where envelope

maximised• Savings: reduced requirements for energy centres,

lower long term maintenance• So may be unattractive for commercial developers at

this time• But is attractive for clients/developers who will

manage site in the long term

Chester BalmoreDeveloper: L.B. Camden

Architect: Rick Mather

AssociatesMain Consultant: McBain Cooper

Chester Balmore

• 53 homes – 23 Council rented, 4 shared ownership and 26 private sale

• GP surgery and 3 Retail units• 95% sale units have sold before

completion• Completion due mid-June• All dwellings successfully passed air-

tightness tests - full certification expected shortly

Chester Balmore

• Difficult site – very compact, dense build

• Changes of level across site• Overlooking and conservation

area challenges at Planning stage

• Complex built form is challenging for designers

Chester Balmore

• Shows Passivhaus compatible with complex forms - doesn’t need to be ‘box-like’

• Has some sales cache with a range of demographics

But• No evidence of increased

sales values• Fuel bill savings accrue to

the end user, not developer

Agar Grove

Developer: L.B. CamdenArchitect: Hawkins Brown/Mae/Grant AssociatesMain Consultants: EC Harriss

Agar Grove

• 345 new passivhaus homes • Remodelling existing tower -

BREEAM Excellent• Range of heights – 5 – 18 storeys• Largest consented passivhaus

scheme in the UK• Starts on site November 2014

Agar Grove

• Comprehensive estate remodelling

• Passivhaus well integrated with other design drivers – eg maximising density, inset balconies, orientation

• Few compromises on built form to achieve Passivhaus

• Difficult, but do-able

Conclusion• As we build more passivhaus schemes

in the UK costs and perception of risk will reduce

• Passivhaus adoption for large, urban developments is challenging but can become the norm

• Statutory requirements will continue to be more demanding and the performance gap from ‘minimum’ to Passivhaus may reduce

• Despite site constraints, Passivhaus has a good fit for urban local authorities and housing developers with a long term interest

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Wilmcote House EnerPHit

Steve GrovesPortsmouth City Council

30/05/2014

www.portsmouth.gov.uk

Wilmcote House EnerPHitEncraft Passivhaus Conference

www.portsmouth.gov.uk74

Agenda

• Portsmouth City Council (PCC) Housing Stock• Wilmcote House Details • Wilmcote House Demand• Factors Against Demolition• Wilmcote House Project• Research Evaluation• Why EnerPHit?

www.portsmouth.gov.uk

PCC Housing Stock

• Stock size – 15,000 HRA & 2,000 leaseholders

• Asset type – residential & commercial assets, traditional & non-traditional

• Age of stock – predominantly post war (1950 – 1970)

• High rise blocks – 40 high rise blocks (6 storeys and above)

• Repairs & Maintenance budgets– £46 million annual repairs & maintenance budget (2014/2015)

• Asset management strategy – demand led, Self Financing Settlement & HRA 30 year business plan

75

www.portsmouth.gov.uk

Wilmcote House DetailsConstruction• Large Bison REEMA concrete

panel construction• 11 storeys & built 1968• Average SAP 55 • 100 x Three bedroom

maisonettes• 7 x One bedroom flats• Area Housing Office located on

ground floor• Previous major schemes &

estate regeneration early 1990s

76

www.portsmouth.gov.uk

Wilmcote House Demands

• Electric heating cost excessive for residents– Fuel poverty– Somerstown deprived area of city

• Maintenance costs significant– Condensation reported by a third of residents– Window repairs reported by 80% of residents over a 2 year period– Water ingress issues to properties and communal stairwells

• Windows and roof at end of serviceable life• Concrete repairs required to maintain life of structure• Decorations to communal & external areas failing• Security to communal areas ineffective• Area Housing Office relocating to new community hub

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www.portsmouth.gov.uk

Factors Against Demolition • Demolition costs• Disturbance allowances & home loss costs• Rebuilding costs including fees• Rent loss during decant and rebuilding phases• Site footprint physical constraints and planning

requirements within area• Decant impact on PCC waiting lists & demand for three

bedroom properties• Demolition impact on residents and community • Financial cost appraisal supported refurbishment • Asset management strategy impact on other high rise

and non traditional buildings over next 30 years

78

www.portsmouth.gov.uk

Wilmcote House ProjectProject Overview• Insulate external envelope with

cladding EWI• Replace roof and insulate• Triple glazed window

replacement• New hot water cylinders &

install electric showers• Mechanical Ventilation Heat

Recovery (MVHR) units• Extend living areas and create

sun room • Enclose communal walkway,

create additional entrance • Introduce restrictive access

doors• Convert office into 4 additional

flats• Structural concrete repairs &

decorations to external/ communal areas

• **Replace electric heating**

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www.portsmouth.gov.uk

Research Evaluation

• Research partners– University of Southampton – Portsmouth University– London School of Economics– BRE – EuroPHit– PCC Departments

• Consultants/ Contractors– ECD Architects – Keegans– Keepmoat

80

www.portsmouth.gov.uk

Research Evaluation • Energy benefits

– Initial research indicates more than half the properties fail to achieve the recommended indoor temperatures

– Reassess temperatures, demand for electricity & costs post scheme

• Health benefits– Health of residents before, during and after scheme

• Social benefits– Impact on residents lives before, during and after the project– Use of building and controls by residents post work

• Asset benefits– Impact on PCC asset management strategy for other high rise and non-

traditional properties– Costs of work (direct & indirect) versus alternative asset management

strategy options such as demolition or traditional schemes

81

www.portsmouth.gov.uk

Why EnerPHit ?

• Residents improved living environment– Fuel poverty & cost of heating – Health and social benefits– Effective management of property systems & controls

• Informing asset management strategy – Future proof against government energy standards for housing (U

Values & SAP Ratings)– Future proof energy prices with strategy to insulate & reduce demand

for energy – Reduce D2D maintenance demand in non-traditional stock – Learning from ‘actual’ complex large exemplar scheme informing

strategy of all 17,000 PCC housing stock & not just Wilmcote House

• Priority is building performance versus certification

82

www.portsmouth.gov.uk

Thank You

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