Passive House Design

A passive house is one which is so energy-efficient that it does not require a conventional heating system to provide heating within the building, relying instead of a combination of green energy sources and high levels of insulation and airtight sealing to reduce heat loss. A passive house typically consumes up to 90% less energy than a house built to the minimum requirements for building regulations.

• What is a passive house?
• How does it work?
• 5 design criteria for passive houses
• View our passive house projects
• Our most recent certified passive house (PDF)

Passive home design concentrates on the following key areas to achieve high levels of insulation and cheap energy:

• High levels of insulation within walls, floors, ceiling and roofs
• Airtight seals at all critical junctions to prevent heat loss
• Advanced glazing technology to ensure heat gain exceeds heat loss
• Use of renewable energy sources such as solar panels

At Kilbroney Timberframe we have undertaken several passive home designs, with examples listed in our timberframe passive house project portfolio, most recently a passive home in Painstown, Donadea, Co. Kildare.