High-performance homes, such as Passivhaus projects, have specific requirements they need to meet to be able to be called a PassivHaus (or Passive House as sometimes called in NZ). These requirements are non-negotiable, and require meticulous planning from the start of the project to make sure all elements work together to the end result. Many Passivhaus projects have not gained certification due to unknown errors made at day-one. If Passivhaus is something you are passionate about make sure you engage an experienced Passivhaus designer.
Our first Passivhaus project was built in NZ in 2011/12. This project was a pioneer for the Waikato region, and the clients were, and still are, passionate ambassadors for this type of housing. The project was well-planned, managed and built, however were the results going to align with what our software and experience were telling us? We needed verification, and the best way we can do this is to install temperate sensors throughout the home and monitor the performance over several seasons and years. We were very lucky that the owners of the home were skilled in this area and a system was installed to monitor the temperate throughout several rooms within the home, under the ground and outside the home. This provided us with an extensive amount of data to use. It provided us with a clearer understanding of what we had designed, it provided us with learning opportunities and most importantly it provided us with the ability to understand how Passivhaus worked within the New Zealand climate, which is different to where it originated in central Europe.
The owners of this home have now enjoyed many warm and comfortable winters and summers in their Passivhaus. It is a home that is high in performance and comfort, but low in running costs and maintenance. Now it has been many years since they built their home, it is fascinating to think that in today’s terms you couldn’t build a typical NZ home for the price they paid, even a cost effective one. We encourage you to think with a more longer-term view, which isn’t for everyone depending on their stage in life, but for those that are willing to invest, it will bring benefits for decades to come.
Below is a graph of some of the temperate data from that project.
“Our first Passivhaus project, build in 2011/12, was a pioneer for the Waikato region and the clients were, and still are, passionate ambassadors for this type of housing”.
