Passivhaus Trust Certified
Stroma Built Environment is accredited by the Passivhaus Institute (PHI) to assess and support you through the design process and toward Passivhaus building.
We have years of knowledge and experience in a wide range of projects, from one-off homes to large commercial complexes. Our highly skilled consultants can work with you to simplify and streamline the process, ensuring your project meets the required standard.
What is Passivhaus?
Passivhaus is a design standard for delivering low-energy, efficient, eco-friendly buildings, which can reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions by as much as 90%. It’s an approach that’s currently gaining in popularity in the UK due to rising energy costs and the recent governmental changes to building regulations as we move towards net zero.
Rigorous requirements underpin the Passivhaus standard. The building must meet strict benchmarks in areas like air tightness, thermal comfort, and installing heat recovery ventilation systems.
Certified Passivhaus Consultants
Stroma’s Passive House certification service provides a detailed project review, from design to construction.
Support is provided throughout by an experienced, qualified, and certified Passivhaus consultant, who will provide guidance and confidence on your project.
Our qualified Passive House team can deliver the required Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) calculations, thermal bridging analysis, and air tightness support to meet the Passive House design standards.
We will support the design team with design optimisation, advising on efficient strategies to improve your project.
Does your Project meet Passivhaus Requirements?
For a building to be considered a Passive House, it must meet the following IPHA criteria:
- Space Heating: The Space Heating Energy Demand must not exceed 15 kWh per square metre of net living space.
- Primary Energy: The total energy to be used for domestic applications (such as hot water and heating) must not exceed 60 kWh per square meter.
- Air Tightness The building must be extremely airtight, with no more than 0.6 air changes per hour at 50 Pascals pressure.
- Thermal Comfort: Living areas are not to exceed 25 °C for more than 10% of yearly hours.
Retrofitting to Passivhaus Standards
Retrofitting to Passivhaus standards is more complex than a new build, requiring an experienced design team, specialist contractors, and materials, as well as robust project management from start to finish.
Our certified Passivhaus consultants can thoroughly examine existing homes for you and develop a robust retrofit plan.
Despite the higher costs associated with retrofitting existing buildings, it can provide substantial returns in terms of energy savings and environmental improvements by reducing carbon emissions through improved insulation and air tightness.
These projects also have the added benefit of improving comfort levels in homes and public buildings while lowering energy bills significantly over time. Ultimately, retrofitting to Passivhaus Standards is a long-term investment providing economic and environmental benefits for all involved.
Benefits of a deep, high-quality retrofit include:
- Modernises and future-proofs existing UK building stock.
- Addresses fuel poverty by reducing energy bills.
- Lowers CO2 emissions and minimises the carbon footprint.
- Improved health and wellbeing for residents.
- Less demand is placed on wider utilities infrastructure.
- Ensures a more sustainable built environment for future generations.
Passivhaus Heating Systems
Passivhaus Heating Systems are designed to reduce a building’s heating and cooling needs. Unlike traditional systems (radiators, gas fires, furnaces, and boilers), Passivhaus heating systems (heat pumps and solar panels) employ a combination of passive solar gain and advanced insulation technologies to keep homes at comfortable temperatures without the need for excessive energy consumption.
In terms of retrofits, you can often keep traditional technologies like gas boilers by simply downsizing the number and size of radiators.
This low-energy approach minimises both running costs and CO2 emissions, creating a more sustainable and economical heating system for homeowners.
