Recommendations from the Passivhaus Technical Solutions event
The Trust held its first technical solutions event this year at the Stevenage Arts & Leisure Centre in Hertfordshire on the 15th October, the day before the UK Passivhaus Conference. The intention was to gather PHT members and practitioners involved in the more technical aspects of Passivhaus with the aim of addressing the most widespread technical issues that affect Passivhaus developments.
The afternoon included an update on activities at the Passivhaus Institut by Jessica Grove-Smith, followed by two sessions of three parallel workshops, and ending with an open debate on ‘What does Passivhaus principles mean?’ The feedback from the event was very good and everyone involved seemed to have found it useful to discuss the detailed issues with other experienced practitioners.
The recommendations from the event seemed to focus on technical and good practice guidance. PHT will include the suggestions on the list of options that we put to the Technical Panel for prioritisation in January 2015.
Recommendations from the technical sessions:
MVHR
- Clear criteria for MVHR – design, installation and commissioning to ensure design is achieved.
- Clear guidance on how to measure noise
Heat supply
- Technical guidance on communal heating including criteria
- As above, for individual systems – simple schematic
Small Properties
- PHI to investigate & implement UK recommendations for Internal Heat Gains.
- Examples & feedback to check implications on design
Large scale retrofit
- Gathering together evidence on benefits – costs, health, community – Create guidance for HAs/ councils.
- Aim for zero/ +ve not EnerPHit
- Intra group communication
Quality Assurance
- Ventilation was top priority
- Product substitution – develop change – management protocols
- Procurement – Develop a template & guidance for site/ staged inspections
Overheating
- Create design guidance
- Research to gather evidence from UK homes
- Summer overheating bypass
Passivhaus Principles: Yes or No?
There was a lively debate about whether a building designed to Passivhaus Principles should mean the same as it actually being a Passivhaus, with strong representations being made on both sides. The PHT Board will collate all the views and work out how to progress this issue in the coming months.
29th October 2014
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