Passive house new buildDesign and construction of sustainable energy-efficient homes |
|
|
The philosophical foundation of Apeiron Homes is to build you a totally sustainable energy efficient home. In fact our driving principle is to build 'carbon neutral homes' and to uphold total respect for the environment in which we live. With this in mind, we incorporate the most natural, organic and environmentally friendly systems in the building of your home, from energy use and heating, to drainage and water management.
You will receive the best creative services in architecture, structural design, environmental consultancies, and construction. All our designs are developed closely with you to deliver a bespoke solution with an ideal balance of artistic form and functional efficiency - combining your individual requirements with the natural landscape in a creative way. We use both traditional building construction methods and timber construction methods, or a combination of both with the latest technologies. This positive and flexible approach allows us to build you a top performance, beautifully designed, long term home for today and the future. |
|
|
The Passive House (German: Passivhaus) is a voluntary building standard, that exceeds the present regulations by far. Built according to this standard the need for heating will be reduced by 90%. Compared to conventional build, which has an average heating demand of 150kWh/m2a, these homes need only 15kWh/m2a.
✱ The remaining heating and hot water demand can be covered almost completely by renewable energies. ✱ Zero Carbon Housing will be achieved by additionally reducing the electricity demand and alternative means of supply. |
|
|
Raising the comfort factor
Because of effective insulation heat stays within the building, and all surrounding areas are equally warm. Consequently there is no radiation heat-loss through the outside walls of a passive house, nor any resulting draughts. Conversely, the heat in summer stays outside and this prevents overheating inside. Because of these factors the room temperature in a passive house remains constant and comfortable throughout the year, ensuring a high standard of comfort and coziness for the occupier. In addition, passive houses have super-efficient ventilation systems (MVHR) which prevent a build-up of mold and dust and their resultant allergies. Specification of a passive house One of the key features is the use of available energy; i.e. the basic principles are the minimising of heat loss and maximising of heat gain. To qualify for the passive house building standard, it is not enough merely to put together passive house appropriate components; the whole is more than the sum of its parts. Because of the interaction of individual components, integrated planning is essential so that the completed building fulfills three following requirements: ✱ Heating output requirement < 15 kWh/m²a ✱ Primary energy requirement (heating/hot water/household appliances) <120 kWh/m²a ✱ Pressure test air change n50 < 0,6 h-1, i.e. in a pressure differential of 50 Pascal, the air current must come to less than 60% per hour of the volume of the building. |
|
|
Passive house windows - a dual function
Windows play an important role in passive houses in two ways; firstly, they can reduce heat loss despite their large areas of glazing and secondly, they allow the sunlight to produce additional heat through the glass. With Internorm windows and heat-conserving glazing as installed in passive houses, it is possible to achieve U-values of 0.58 W/m²K. These windows have two infra-red reflecting coatings and are filled with krypton or argon. This means that the surface temperature of the glass inside the room is comparable with the air temperature of the room itself. The amount of total energyloss (g) with triple glazed Internorm windows is around 50%, depending on glazing and gas-filling. Where these window systems are installed in a south-facing position the heat gains even from December to February are higher than the heat losses. |
|
