Thermal Transmittance U vs Th. Resistance R
To achieve thermal comfort and energy efficiency in buildings, a primary role is played by the thermal envelope: this is required to thermally decouple the indoor environment from the ever-changing external conditions, both in summer and in winter. The structures…
Insulation materials: discovering the lambda value
The lambda value of a material indicates its ability to transfer heat: this property is therefore very important in the design of highly performing buildings and passive houses. The information commonly available is unfortunately quite confusing: with this article, we'll…
Certified construction system for Passive Houses
The construction system certification is possibly the least known certification offered by the Passivhaus Institut, and yet it can help spreading passive buildings all over the world. We worked on the first system certification for passive houses in a warm…
The compactness ratio or Form Factor of a building
When addressing the energy efficiency of a building, one of the most important players in the game is the compactness of its thermal envelope. Is there a way to measure the compactness of a building? Yes: it’s the compactness ratio.
The potential benefit of an early ‘Blower Door Test’.
In December we ran a 'Type B' Blower Door Test on our CasaClima Class A project, "Conte Re", under construction near Albinea (in the province of Reggio Emilia, Italy). Many of our colleagues wondered why we decided to run the…
Passive house: new construction or renovation?
In our blog, we are dedicating a large number of articles to deep energy retrofits, on one hand, and Passive Houses on the other. However, these two topics are not necessarily distinct from one another: here, we explain why.
How do you define the “health and comfort” of building occupants?
We often refer to the “health and comfort” of building occupants. What does this mean? An ideal building would be one that you wouldn’t notice or feel, one that would allow the body to exist in a healthy and comfortable…
Mold and condensation problems
Mold and condensation on the interior surfaces of a house's thermal envelope is a self-evident proof of poor quality and lack of comfort. It can happen on walls, roof, slabs and so on. These phenomena are symptoms of degrading building…
What is a ‘thermal bridge’?
In our articles, as we write about Passive Houses, thermal comfort and energy efficiency, we often assign great importance to the term 'thermal bridge'. We'll try to explain here what all the fuss is about.
The Main Difference Between a Passive House and a Near or Net Zero Energy House
Given the recent developments in European legislation on energy efficiency, the theme of near or Net Zero energy buildings has become a hot topic. In a market that tends to interchange names, definitions, and standards of construction, we propose a……