Dr. Wolfgang Feist and the first Passive House building in Darmstadt, Germany
The Passive House standard represents today‘s highest energy standard with the promise of reducing heating energy use in buildings by 90%.
Building science research that began in the USA in the 1980s was refined in Germany in the 1990s. Since then, over 15,000 buildings have been constructed worldwide, designed to this super-efficient, cost effective standard.
The Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) projects detailed heat load, heat loss, energy gains and losses, and is tailored to each building, site, and local climate. Heating is provided by internal gains from people, equipment, appliances, as well as solar gains. Supplemental heat can be delivered in the airstream of the continuously operating ventilation system. Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows that buildings are responsible for 48% of greenhouse gas emissions annually. Further, 76% of all electricity generated by U.S. power plants goes to supply the building sector.
For events and resources for passive house design and construction in the Pacific Northwest, visit
Passive House Standard:
| REQUIRED | |
| Airtight Construction | 0.60 ACH @ 50 pascal |
| Well Insulated Envelope | 4.75 kBTU/SF/Year |
| Primary Energy | 38.0 kBTU/SF/Year |
| Heat/Energy Recovery Ventilation | 75% efficient |
| Thermal Bridge Free Construction | |
| RECOMMENDED (climate based) | |
| Window U-Value | 0.14 BTU/SF/dF |
