What are the benefits of building a passive house?

As Passive House designers and architects, we believe that all new houses should be built with Passive House principles in mind.

What are the advantages, and disadvantages, of building a Passive House?

Advantages of Building a Passive House

1. Your house is thermally comfortable. This means the house is, generally, comfortable in all temperatures and weather.

2. Your house is cost-effective to heat & cool.
3. You have a fresh, heated, air supply, via a Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery system (MVHR)

4. As your house is easy to heat, you are more likely to open windows; for those who love the windows open!

5. Your energy bills are much lower.

6. As there are no draughts, due to the good airtightness.  There are no cold spots in your house – so it is a much more stable and pleasant temperature.

7. With the MVHR, and the warmer house (more likely to open windows, even in winter), the quality of air in your house is better than in a non-Passive house.

8. Good ventilation strategies and solar shading mean that your house is less likely to overheat on warm & sunny days; this is considered in the Passive House calculations.

9. Eco-friendly. As your house will require less energy to heat, building to Passive House Standards is a sustainable and environmentally-friendly build method.

Disadvantages of Passive House

The disadvantages of building a Passive House are small. There is a slight increase in the build costs but this is saved over the course of your lifetime, along with the benefits of living in a healthy, thermally comfortable, Passive House. At Marshall McCann Architects we work with your QS, to your budget.

There are compromises to be made in all builds.  You will always have to find the balance between thermal comfort, size, specification and budget. Therefore, design, and build, a balanced, warm, house, to your budget.

Do I have to certify my Passive House?

NO!
To be called a Passive House, your house must be certified. However, at Marshall McCann Architects, we are adept at understanding the principles and standards behind Passive House.

We often design to Passive House standards, without necessarily certifying the house as Passive (saving you money on certification). We can also run the Passive House calculations, to check your house complies with the theories, standards and principles, without the added expense of Passive House certification.